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

Mike checks in, live from a hotel room in Boston. David holds down the home studio. They dive into the 1963 picture book classic, Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell. The dudes share early childhood reading memories, examine Norman Bridwell’s iconic line-and-wash watercolor art style, discuss the perks of being a huge red dog (and the hazards of digging up full-grown trees), and deliver a fresh round of canine-themed dad jokes. Plus, David shares a exciting encounter with local booksellers at Barnes & Noble!

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay because, well, Mary Anne goes underground!!

A book with no page numbers? Not this one. It’s got page numbers. The Book with No Pictures? This one. Check it out.

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

Strand Bookstore in New York City!?!

This week we go way way back. This classic book is older than Mike. This gritty book is older than David. This shiny new book almost as old as David’s parents! It’s older than World War II. Wheut?

There are beautiful drawings of suburban sprawl long before it was a thing and before “ Rose of houses that are all the same and no one seems to care…” 🎵 🎶 Thank you, The Monkees. A great story with all kinds of touches that show its age as a book written and drawn in the 1930s, and it has aged well.

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay because, well, Mary Anne goes underground!!

A book with no page numbers? Not this one. It’s got page numbers. The Book with No Pictures? This one. Check it out.

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

Strand Bookstore in New York City!?!

The Dads return to a classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, Illustrated by Felicia Bond. Is it really a classic? It was written after Mike and David were kids, but it was written during the 1900s even during the Cold War. We’re gonna call it a classic. It’s also our first recording on location! Mike and David recorded this one outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City after finishing a wonderful two days at Podcast Movement 2026.

It’s a really fun book from the if you do one thing, then another thing happens, and then another, and they told two friends and so on and so on genre. It’s really fun art and Mike and Dave totally recommend it. Great to read to kids, with kids, even near kids!

Our podcast buddies:
https://howtohandymaam.com/

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay because Mike and David loved being in New York City which, after all these years, still breathes.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema with pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon, another classic “If you do this then that happens…” book. That’s a thing. We mean it.

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

This just in. It's another classic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett. The Dads visit the town of Chewandswallow. Your read that right—one word, one giant word.

It's a super fun book in which the weather is SPOILER ALERT!! not raining men, but raining food! Sound delicious? It most certainly is, but, casual listener, do not fear. Problems arise, conflicts unfold, and a mild discomfort rears its ugly head (cheese), yum! (Head cheese? I’d rather eat a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich.)

There are so many fun things, great details, and all the plot twists. AND! Fun, detailed artwork in a new palette: RY or Red Yellow. And details you spend a lap time with your child discovering.

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay
How Martha Saved her Parents from Green Beans by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mark Fearing

Lisa Desimini, one of our fun illustrator/author conversations

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

Here’s part two of our wonderful conversation with Victoria Kann. author of the newly released Snickerdoodle and the absolute classic Pinkalicious, as well as many of its sequels and spinoffs.

Last week we talked about snickerdoodle, which by the way it was published last week! Check it out! We also talked about Pinkalicious, Purplicious, and many more. the spinoff

This week we start off with Peteriffic and dive deeper into the history of Victoria’s art in the beginning of her career as a graphic designer and how it lead to her current work and style.

She tells what it was like to work with animators—not to give it away, but “interesting” and “exciting” may have been used.

It was a fun and enlightening conversation, and we look forward to more !

If you liked this episode, you’ll love these:

Pinkalicious, where it all started. For us. And Victoria. The original origin story.

Check out our other author interviews:

Dan Gutman
Dan Yaccarino
Chris Grabenstein
Alan Katz
Linda Harkey
Lisa Desimini

And now a word from our sponsors. Well, not really sponsors, just places we like to get books and hope that you'll go to if you need one:

Our traveling feature of the month:
The Library Hotel and Bookmarks Rooftop Lounge in New York City where we met some or authors. Beautiful and fun and book themed. Check it Out.
Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

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

Don’t live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth or Chicago areas? Tell us about your favorite library or independent book store in your town. Do you have questions, comments, concerns, or the best Dad Joke ever:

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com