Mike and David return to yet another classic, or as the French would say “classique, Madeline with story and pictures by Ludwig Bemelmans published in 1939 when David’s mother was trois—um, three! Encore—again with the Français—French!! Oui. or maybe OY!

It’s a beautiful book about a girl, Madeleine, who lives in a the boarding house or orphanage although it is not clear which. BUT we do know it is an old house in Paris that was covered with vines. who spoiler alert gets sick (the girl, not the vines or the house).

The dad’s promised— or at least David did— to keep this episode under 30 minutes because the book is not very long and it’s quite simple. Not very long indeed! Quite simple? Just you wait. Alas, it was not meant to be (short that is).

Oh, and how do you pronounce Madeline? Listen in to find out! But wait, there’s a controversy due to French and rhyming, or was Parisions and miming?

This is a great book to read, to read to your kids and to read to them again when they’re older. And the Dads talk about how much fun it is and valuable to discuss books. Endless discoveries and a really good opportunity to discuss books with your kids and get their perspective(s).

If you liked this episode, you'll like these too:

Warrior Cats
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
I Want my Hat Back by Jon Klassen, or the bear with a naked head complex
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Future episode: Winnie the Pooh Happy 100th Birthday!

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsor us while you're there).

Frugal Bookstore in Boston, MA
Boston Public Library
Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

Mike and David actually do a Halloween episode on Halloween! After doing a Halloween episode in July of last year and not doing a Halloween episode on Halloween the last year, Mike and David to finally get their stuff together with Bone Soup by Tony Johnston and illustrations by Margot Tomes as recommended by Jasmin or Denise at the Grapevine Public Library.

It’s a fun, but a little scary and silly and wacky Halloween book with well – downright beautiful illustrations. This is one of the mini books to go in the category of we wish we have been able to read this to our kids. Well, we still can, but it’s not as effective and fun as it would be. The book is also filled with lots of Easter eggs. David literally learned yesterday that that’s what authors and other children’s book experts like us call the fun really cool details that you can discuss with your kids.

Monica just informed David that that’s actually not what Easter eggs are. If someone knows, please email us and tell us what the heck he’s talking about

If you’d like this episode, check these out also:

Our conversation with Dan Gutman: Part One and Part Two

And illustrator/author Lisa Desimini who gave David advice on how to read a book multiple ways over multiple times. Part one, part two

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsor us while you're there).

Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

Mike and David recorded this back in July 2025 a perfect month to do a Halloween episode. Now that it’s actually Halloween soon we decided to let you listen again. And since we did this episode, we had Dan Gutman himself on our show!! Links to those episodes at the bottom. Please enjoy and tell all your friends. Happy Halloween.

From July 2025:

“In this week’s episode, David and Mike explore the wild and wackily kookified world of Dan Gutman, and found a million hundred books begging to be read. They contemplate the fortunes they've spent at the Scholastic book fair where so many of these volumes lie hiding... waiting to sneak into your bags and make you laugh all the way home. Mike admits he had to renew his expired library card to read this monster of a book. The dads confirm (admit) the turning green element is pure envy... candy envy. The book captures AJ facing the toughest decision in history: getting chopped up or surrendering his treats. This just in: a shocking spoiler alert: they promise to never cut that out in post.”

Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Sideways Stories from Wayside school
or
Episode 32: The Toughest Questions in the History of the World... (coming soon)

Our episodes with Dan Gutman: Part One and Part Two

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsor us while you're there).

Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com