picture books Archives | Cool Mom Picks

How to explain social distancing to young kids: This free downloadable Princess in Black comic book helps

My three-year-old son still thinks the Novel Coronavirus is something he can defeat with a solid dropkick. (Oh, how I wish that were true, buddy!) But as cute as he is, his confusion about COVID-19 and quarantine best practices has created some real problems. And I...

10 ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with kids, safely at home.

by Christina Refford | DIY, Doing Good

Readers have asked us for ways to celebrate Earth Day with the kids while we’re all sheltering in place right now and I have to be honest — with all of the days starting to run together while we’re in quarantine, the holiday kind of snuck up on me...

Finding Kindness: A beautiful new children’s book with a message the world needs | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Books for Kids

This is a sponsored message on behalf of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Kindness comes in all shapes and sizes, which is exactly the lesson kids will learn reading the newest book from New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Underwood. Finding Kindness...

What is Indigenous People’s Day? Great resources for talking to your kids, because Native American history is American history.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids, Doing Good, Thinking : Parent

Today is the day that’s been traditionally celebrated as “Columbus Day” in the U.S., but knowing now what we know about Christopher Columbus, the holiday is fast transforming into Indigenous People’s Day for many. If you’re wondering what...

Amy Ignatow’s The Cutest Thing Ever is totes adorbs.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids

Once in a while, a new picture book come along that we want for our early readers right away. And sometimes one comes along that we kind of want for ourselves too. And for all the toddlers in our lives. And for our cool tweens too. Well, that’s what’s so...

3 new books for kids that make you proud to be American

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids

With July 4th coming, up, this is a time my family often discusses what it means to be American, how we can make the country better, safer, and more equitable for other Americans, and what we can do to help live up to our nation’s promise of liberty and justice...

The Evangeline Lilly interview that will convince you she’s one of the coolest moms | Spawned Ep 160

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

As it turns out, Evangeline Lilly is not just an Orc-defeating Tolkien elf, badass desert island survivor, or quantum realm-traveling Marvel superhero. She is also a super cool mom, and author of the darkly comic, wonderfully inventive new young reader series, the...

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver writer Jill Twiss on finding the funny in tough times | Spawned 159

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

Does it feel hard to laugh sometimes with all that’s going on in the world? You’ll love this episode of the Spawned Parenting Podcast. This week we’re talking to Jill Twiss, Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver staff writer, and...

What is Juneteenth? 4 great children’s books that explain this important holiday.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids

If you want to learn more about Juneteenth, or just want to be sure its history and relevance has a place on your bookshelves, we have found some terrific children’s books about Juneteenth to help. After all, I know a lot of us (embarrassingly) still don’t...

6 wonderful new Father’s Day picture books that celebrate Dad | Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Caroline Siegrist | Books for Kids, Father's Day Gifts

Every year we round up some of the best Father’s Day picture books, and the new 2019 Father’s Day book releases do not disappoint. They’re heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and wonderfully diverse. Oh yeah, and highly conducive to bedtime snuggles....

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

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).