3 wonderful new picture books about African American heroes, all written by authors of color
As a strong proponent of bookshelves filled with diverse books — in our libraries, our schools, and certainly at home — I’ve become much more aware of not seeking out books featuring heroes of color, but ensuring that a diverse group of authors and...
Family ideas for making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a day of service, not just a day off.
Over the years, we’ve shared some of our favorite activities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Reading outstanding kids’ books about activism, getting messy with some inspirational family craft projects (we’re still loving this DIY mural), or seeking...
The 2017 National Book Award finalists that YA lovers will want to get their hands on now.
The 2017 National Book Awards have just been announced, in time for those crisp autumn nights cuddling up with a good book. And while you should check out all the finalists in the fiction and nonfiction categories, we’re sharing the Young People’s...
#DrawingWhileBlack: Prints from 5 amazing Black children’s book illustrators and artists you will fall in love with.
Thanks to a 19-year-old artist who originated the hashtag, the #DrawingWhileBlack campaign on social media caught on and became a veritable treasure trove of art on Twitter. I watched in real time thrilled to discover the talents of hundreds of Black artists and...
Teaching kids about racial justice with the best teacher ever: Langston Hughes.
Issues concerning civil rights and racial justice in America have never stopped being news. At least if you’re paying attention. However over the past few years, they’ve really become front and center in a more widespread way, thanks to the Black Lives...
11 wonderful kids’ t-shirts that promote a love of learning and the importance of education. Yes!
We are enamored of those tees for our kids featuring superheroes, pop culture references, rock bands, and sports teams. And they love them. In part because they know that we love that stuff, and they’re pleasing us to show their allegiance to The Justice League...
The song reminding kids of all the goodness in the world, just when they need it.
This past week has been so difficult. For me, for all of us here…and probably for you. The events in Charlottesville have shined a bright light on bigotry and hate, which can do real damage to your soul. And if we feel scared and heartbroken — well,...
8 must-read summer reading books for tweens and teens who want to stay woke
Lately, as my kids are getting older and the world has gotten (ahem) a little crazier, my 10- and 12-year-old have been questioning what’s going on. I chat with them about my own observations and beliefs…and ask them about theirs. But one thing that helps...
How one celeb is making Bessie Coleman’s story soar for kids.
You may still know Karyn Parsons best as Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but we now know her as the incredible founder of Sweet Blackberry, where she’s hard at work sharing stories of notable African-Americans who empower and instill a sense of...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)
We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).
We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.
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