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Book Club

Books for moms, books for dads, books for kids and for parents who think they're kids (also called dads). Here's a selection of the fantastics books we love at Cool Mom Picks, all a click away.

Oh So Helpful

Spousonomics


The economics of a better marriage.
The World According to Toddlers


It's a toddler's world after all.
Go the F*** to Sleep


Necessary humor.
Best Books for Boys


How Boys + Books = BFFs
Morning Song


Poems for new parents that even the sleep-deprived can enjoy
Undecorate


Real ideas for a real home
Let's Go Outside


Hey Kids - Go play outside!
Cinderella Ate My Daughter


What are we going to do about it?
Parentless Parents


When Grandma and Grandpa aren't around.
Pretty Neat


Get buttoned-up
Spit That Out!


Just the book for worrier mommas
Consider it Done


How to figure out those random things
Ballet for Beginners


From toddler to teen, ballet brought to life.
Ultimate Guide to Surviving Middle School


It is possible to get through this steretypically tough time.
Girls Gone Green


Quick, helpful eco-tips from real teens.
35 Things Your Teen Won't Tell You, So I Will


Trust me, you want to know.
The Paranoid Parents Guide


Fears versus Reality.
Living With What You Love


Dust off family heirlooms.
You're Not the Boss of Me


Brat-proof your 4- to 12-year old
You Cannot Be Serious


Rules that sustain a (mostly) balanced mom.
Mind in the Making


The seven essential life skills every child needs.
Getting the Pretty Back


Friendship, family, and finding the perfect lipstick.
Big Green Purse


Use your spending power to create a cleaner, greener world.
Mommy Prayers


Perfect for the spiritual and non-spiritual alike.
Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: The Toddler Years


From potty training to playdates.
Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: The Preschool Years


Cope with constant questions and incessant whining.
Bedtiming


Ready to sleep again?
Humpty Who?




Every nursery rhyme you can't remember - plus the backstories.
How to Photograph
Your Baby


Tips for taking gorgeous baby photos without buying more expensive equipment.
The Grandparents Handbook


Congratulations - you're a grandparent!
Reading Together



Book recommendations and interactive tips to raise a reader
If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay


What your best girlfriend would say, if she was a pediatrician
You Can Call Me Hoppa



Now that we've named the baby, what do we name the grandparents?
Healthy Child, Healthy World


Green: A great color for every baby
The Perfect Baby Handbook


Save your offspring from a potential life of mediocrity
Beyond Ava & Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby



This baby-naming book takes the cake for style, originality and lip synch.
The Gay Uncle's Guide to Parenting


Forget Supernanny -- send me Brett Berk, stat.
Play All Day: Design for Children



A must for designers, wannabe designers, or simply parents looking for visual inspiration.
Post Partum Cards


Yes, I'm alive. Now I want sleep.
The Complete Book of Baby Names




100,001 baby names and lists galore to help you figure out if you've got a Jane or a Juniper.
Bad Baby Names




If you think Madysynne is bad, this list of real names will have you equally howling and cringing.
The Rookie Moms Handbook




250 very smart activities to keep you sane the first year, first child or not.
Mom's Lifesavers


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Great, digestible advice from 100 real moms around the country.
Mama Knows Breast



An engaging beginner's guide to keep you abreast (ahem) of the lastest info.
If These Boobs Could Talk




Finding the humor in breastfeeding - yes, such a thing is possible.
The Green Book




Celebs from Robert Redford to Will Ferrell offer simple everyday tips for greening up the place.
Mommy Yoga: The 50 Stretches of Motherhood




A funny little gift book with the poses moms will find themselves in most.
Reading With Babies, Toddlers, & Twos




Absolutely essential new mama gift book on what, why and how to read to kids of any age.
Why Do Babies Do That?




The tome that keeps you from losing even more sleep with a newborn.
Daring Book for Girls



From friendship bracelets to campfire building to lists of women inventors. A modern classic.
The Double-Daring Book for Girls



Double the fun.
The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide


A lot of stuff about a lot of stuff
White Trash Mom Handbook


How to get out of the PTA time suck to faking it for your kid's school bake sale
Raising Baby Green


Written by a man Parenting magazine called "the Al Gore of Pediatrics."
A is for Atticus


Why, I named my daughter after a Greek goddess. You can, too.
Kiss My Math


Written by Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper!) who's gone from child star to lauded mathematician
How to Traumatize Your Children


Doesn't the title tell you everything?
Momnesia


Um, I forgot what I was going to say about this one.
32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny


Bunnies! And Life Lessons!
What to Read When


Your own personal librarian.
Happy Chaos


Parenting words to live by

Cool Non-Fiction

One Big Happy Family


Essays about how non-traditional families live and love.
The Beauty of Being Different


A breathtaking reminder that we are beautiful as we are
Mothers of Intention


Using our outside voices
The Happiness Project


The book that changed my life
The Happiest Mom


10 Secrets to Enjoying Motherhood
Planting Dandelions


Field notes from a journey of unexpected grace
Mominatrix's Guide to Sex: A No-Surrender Advice Book for Naughty Moms


Not quite the premarital counseling you got in church.
Just Let Me Lie Down


Necessary terms for the half-insane working mom.
Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets


Your ultimate guide to domestic liberation.
It's Not Me, It's You



It's Not Me, It's You. Or wait, maybe it is me. A little.
Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind


Best, worst, ridiculous, and touching
The Passion of the Hausfrau: Motherhood, Iluminated


Motherhood is graphic.
Rockabye: From Wild to Child




Blogger and author Rebecca Wolf's memoir is poignant, hilarious, and unfairly hip.
A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum


Laugh your way through the insanity. It's good for you.
Peeing in Peace: Tales and Tips for Type A Moms


A great little bathroom read. Pun intended.
Perfect Madness




Judith Warner's tome on mothering in modern times.
The Bitch in the House


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26 fierce essays reminding us that we all lose it at times.
Sleep is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers.


A wonderfully curated anthology of spectacularly good essays... because we're in it!
The Maternal is Political


Essays about women at the intersection of motherhood and social change.
Because I Love Her.


34 Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond.
Love, Mom: Poignant, Brilliant, Goofy Messages From Home.


Watch out for those computer STDs!

Journals, Organizers and Memory Books

The Belly Book




The perfect place to store those belly shots you don't want in the family album
Tooth Fairy Keepsake: Under the Pillow Pocket and Memory Book


A tooth fairy keepsake to help you fill in the gaps
Mom's Five-Second Memory Journal




When five seconds is all you've got.
Wreck this Journal



Embrace creativity, buck the ordinary, and - go on - destroy it.
My Family, My Journey


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One of the nicest adoption journals we've found
Baby of Mine


A fabulous first-year memory book, whether you fill in every page or only a couple.
School Years


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Keep track of memories and report cards stylishly from K through 12
Mom's Ultimate Family Organizer


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A busy mom's lifesaver. Nice looking too!
Writing Motherhood




Write and Record.
Baby Book




A baby book for the modern mom
Embrace: A Pregnancy Journal




One page at a time

Cooler Than Your Average Pregnancy Book

The Newly Non-Drinking Girls Guide to Pregnancy




Surprisingly good (and humorous) advice for getting through 9 months dry.
Frankly Pregnant




Frank indeed. Who else will tell you about cauliflower butt?
Body Soul Baby




Complete from preconception to postnatal - only the scare tactics are missing.
The Complete Organic Pregnancy




How to get green when the stick turns pink. No judgment, nice.
The Experts' Guide to the Baby Years




From Liz Lange's maternity style tips to Harvey Karp on soothing a crying baby.
One Year to an Organized Life with Baby


Prioritize, organize
Let's Panic About Babies


Warning: Reading this book during pregnancy will make you pee yourself. Even more.

Activity Books

Everything Butt Art at the Zoo


Butt Art that isn't raunchy, promise.
Make and Takes for Kids


Simple, seasonal crafts for the not-so-crafty
Johnny Joe's Coloring Book


Help people find their heads
Brain Quest Write and Erase Books


Fun, Educational, and Repeatable.
Papertoy Monsters


Make your own adorable monster army
My Haggadah Made it Myself


The single coolest Haggadah for kids, ever
Stitch by Stitch: Learning to Sew, One Project at a Time


Easy to follow, cute results.
Incredible, Outrageous Sticker Book


Stickers: A Genius Distraction.
Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know


Pick up a City Guide for your hometown or your vacation destination.
The Bug Book and Bottle



Bugs. They're big with kids. Even when they're not.
Charley Harper Coloring Book



Go ahead, kids, draw on the art.
Fairy Tree House



Fairy Tree House, actual size. Or so I'm told.
Scribbles


Budding artists go nuts for this oversized scribble book with drawing prompts for ages 3-99
Doodles

When your child has graduated from Scribbles, start adding color.
The Cardboard Box Book


"This lead paint thing is out of control. We're just going to start playing with cardboard boxes."
I Wanna Make Gifts



Crafty tweens flip for this very fun book to help you make gifts from bookmarks to pillows.
Organic Crafts



Back in my day, we played with twigs and rocks and we liked it!
The Softies Kit

For adults: 15 laminated cards with instructions for simple, cute plush toys.

Crafty Mama



Sit up and say Hey, I can make that!
The Cupcake Kit



Oh, YUM.
Posh Puzzle Books



Puzzles are ranked by Flirt, Vamp and Dominatrix.
Let's Make Some Great Art



Your kid: The next Paul Klee

Picture Or Mostly Picture Books

Say What?



The cow says moo. That you know of.
Paul Thurlby's Alphabet



U is for Underground
A Street Through Time



Timeless.
Everybody Needs a Rock


A reminder to make decisions thoughtfully and carefully.
Alternative ABCs


M is for mohawk.
Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types


Animals created out of type.
Oh!



Oh! what a cool book!
Waddle!



More scanimation, please.
Peter Rabbit Organic Cloth Book



Soft books for babies go green.
Who's Hiding?




Wonderful participatory book for preschoolers - with a great surprise ending.
123 NYC




Award winning photographer Joanne Dugan brings counting to life in a Manhattan kind of way.
ABC NYC




B is for Bagel. C is for Chrysler Building.
Baby Mix Me a Drink




Not the right gift book for your one friend with no sense of humor.
First Book of Sushi




We say, it beats the first book of Twinkies.
All About Scabs




For kids obsessed with life's little unexplainables.
Urban Babies Wear Black



Metro mamas will love getting this at their shower instead of the 100th copy of Goodnight Moon
Kit Allen -- Various Titles


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From Swimsuit to Sweater, or perhaps just Longjohns. Slide, Already!
How Many?




A truly magical pop-up book to inspire creativity and imagination
Bloom: A Little Book About Finding Love




A sweet little tome for your little Valentine about a melodramatic pig
Phooey




The Marx Brothers meets Tin Tin - a must for any kids library.
The Art of Shapes




Seeing shapes in some of the great modern art of the world.
Don't Touch That!



Unexplained itching? Check this cartoon book.
Charley Harper ABC's




An ABC Book for minimalists, modernists, and just regular kids who love animals
Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play


Beautiful cut-paper illustrations describe actions from act to zoom
ABC is for Circus



Join the circus like you wanted to
I LEGO N.Y.



Everything you heart in a board book
Press Here


For a good time, just press
A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns



For your kid's zeal for animals

Cool Story Books

The Man in the Moon

Look Up!

The Conductor

Worth a thousand words

The Secret Garden

The prettiest paperback

Black Beauty


Beauty, reimagined.
Nursery Rhyme Comics


There was an old lady who lived in a graphic novel...
Everything On It.


Shel Silverstein rises again
Pete the Cat

The New Goodnight Moon

Following Featherbottom

A personalized book unlike those other personalized books

3-D Dinosaur

New technology turns the page on how kids read

The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time


Mother Goose has gone green
His Shoes Were Far Too Tight


Shel Silverstein, the next generation
Children's Choice Book Award Finalists


Check out this years' finalists!
The Princess Knight


Strength and Cunning
World Without Fish


Fish Facts Beyond Nemo
The Gift


Open the dialogue about the passage of time
7 Wise Princesses


patience, perseverance, wisdom and love.
Charlie the Ranch Dog


The Pioneer Woman turns from cookbooks to children's books
Seasons


A book about seasons as beautiful as spring
Something for School


The universal story of insecurity at school
Big Words for Little People


Because Jamie Lee Curtis is fabulous.
Never Mind Your P's and Q's: Here's the Punk Alphabet


You know you want to punk-out.
Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy


Anything that involves a "lost Australian mosquito" can definitely be called "unique."
European Playground


Recession-friendly: 'cause it is way cheaper than plane tix.
Alphabetica: Odes to the Alphabet


Mind-blowing alphabet book filled with multisyllabic metaphors and modern, deep-inked illustrations.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety


What, me worry?
Everything is Better with a Gorilla


It is, isn't it?
OMG! One Million Giraffes


Betcha can't find 'em all!
Goodnight Book for Moms and Little Ones


Everything optimal for bedtime.
An Awesome Book


Justin Timberlake likes it.
Man Gave Names to All the Animals


Bob Dylan, Children's Author.
Switching on the Moon


Soothing poetry classics.
A Bedtime for Bear


... and for your kid, too.
Tuck Me In


A good night for all.
The Little Librarian


Create your own mini-library.
The Secret Lives of Princesses


You know you're curious.
The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods


A story full of intrigue and adventure.
The Year of the Tiger: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac


The friendship between Su and baby tiger Teddy.
Olivia Acts Out.


There are no small parts in theater, only small pigs.
The Nutty Nutcracker


A whimsical new spin on the original tale.
pOppy's pants



Melissa Conroy's Wooberry dolls star in this tale combining photography and drawings.
Over in the Hollow



Almost as fun as watching the NYC Halloween Parade on TV. Almost.
Pat the Beastie



Tired of Pat the Bunny?
Tell Me a Story: Women of Wonder



It's the girls who save the day.
Baltazar and the Flying Pirates



A female pirate? Ahoy.
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish



A sarcastic brother/sister duo tromp all over town to find their father.
Fiona's Luck



A St Patrick's Day book for kids that's entirely free of green sparkles.
The Sign of the Seahorse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts



Adventure, True Love and Seafood.
Peep


A fresh angle on taking risks.
Tenzin's Deer



Buddhist lessons, beautifully illustrated
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy



Mo Willems does it again.
The Gigantic Turnip



This old Russian folktale comes to life beautifully
The Year of the Rat




Great gift book for any baby born in 2008
Duck for President




The lighter - and wetter - side of politics.
The Adventures of Wonderbaby from A-Z




A new take on alphabet books for your wonderbaby.
The Paper Bag Princess




Purchase with confidence, feminist moms - this is the princess book for you.
Stories From the Opera




The Magic Flute and six other operas come to life proving kids can like opera too.
Growing Up with Loukoumi


She dreams of all the things she can be in life, slutty rock star not among them. Celeb voices in accompanying cd.
The Fairy Chronicles


Girls with magical powers trying to save the earth. Right on.
Poetry Speaks to Children




An amazing collection, wonderfully illustrated with an accompanying CD.
Honky Tonk Heroes and Hillbilly Angels




Country fans will not want to miss this one.
Dirt on Their Skirts




The real story behind A League of Their Own. (Spoiler: Madonna wasn't really there.)
A Balloon for a Blunderbuss

The 1960's classic about escalating trades is restored and ready for your clever kid.

The Way Back Home

An imagination-sparking adventure about friendship.

The Princess Bubble

Any book that includes a dating website for royalty is worth a read in our book.

One City, Two Brothers

A book that stops the kids from fighting - what more could you need?

The Woollyhoodwinks vs. the Dark Patch


Junco the Woollyhoodwink contemplates the meaning of a button, and more!
13 Words

Your kid will learn words like despondent, haberdashery, and Mezzo-Soprano.

The Puppy Sister

Sometimes siblings do get along.

The Butt Book

No ifs, and, just lots of butts

Worthy Cookbooks and Food Education

The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution


No more tears
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar


Let them eat cookies!
OMG Pancakes!


75 ways to make pancakes
Peko Peko


How to help Japan and make dinner.
The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet


You can totally do it!
Cookbook for Moms


Whatcha Got Cooking?
The 6 O'Clock Scramble




No time to cook dinner? Perfect.
SOS! The Six-O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue


More excellent advice for earth-friendly, kid-pleasing meals.
Drink This: Wine Made Simple


Learn about wine by drinking it.
eebee's Mix&Mash Adventures



A parent-and-baby culinary feast, and suddenly, cooking is actually fun again.
The Toddler Cafe: Fast, Easy and Fun Ways to Please Even the Pickiest Eaters



Cooking for kids just got 150 recipes easier.
Handstand Kids' Chinese Cookbook



You'll be wonton Handstand Kids' Chinese Cookbook
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World




If your kids have any food allergy at all, we cannot recommend a better book for baking.
Deceptively Delicious




The best-selling take on getting picky kids to eat veggies by hiding them in otherwise appealing recipes.
The Sneaky Chef




The original "hide the beets in the pancakes" cookbook - highly recommended.
Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers


Like yoga for baby food.
Emeril's There's a Chef in My World




The original celebrity chef takes children on a worldwide culinary tour. Yum.
Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook




Oh, the things that you will cook.
Peanut Butter & Co Cookbook




If your kid lives on peanut butter, throw every other cookbook away.
Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook


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Help kids tell their teglia from their tagliere.
Cakes for Kids




Ready to be the mom who truly takes the cake? The recipes here are absolutely outrageous.
Mom-a-licious




It delivers deliciously on what its subtitle claims: Fresh, fast, family food.
Top Chef: The Cookbook




Top Chef comes to your kitchen. Yes, Sam too. (And the trivia alone is worth the price.)
The Dinner Diaries



Raising whole wheat kids in a white bread world.
The Vegan Lunch Box


Even kids who love their McNuggets will find this food fabulous.
Edible Schoolyard


Take these ideas to your school cafeteria.
The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue


Create "the best sauce in the history of sauce."
Ready, Steady, Spaghetti


Not dumbed down.
Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home


Martha Stewart gets into the local food movement
The Divvies Bakery Cookbook


Whip something up delicious.
We Grew It, Let's Eat It


The engaging and educational trip from garden to table.
The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect With Your Kids, One Meal at a Time


Laurie David helps take the stress out family dinner
Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons


Teaching kids how to dine out without kids menus or maze placemats
The Little Bitty Bakery


A crumbly-jumbly sweet treat

Books for the Menfolk

Dear Dad


Photos of dads, grandfathers, and kids enjoying each other.
Geek Dad


Awesomely geeky projects for dads and kids.
Dad's Pregnant Too!


It is for him, but it will benefit you.
Father Knows Less




Celebs, politicians and other fascinating folks answer kids' most unusual (and hilarious) questions
Daddy Needs a Drink


Frank, funny essays from humorist (and dad) Robert Wilder
Dangerous Book for Boys




If a man in your life doesn't own it by now, he should
The Dads' Book for the Dad Who's Best at Everything



What dad wouldn't be proud to be known as the dad who's best at everything?
Awkward Family Photos


Make him laugh.