Mike and David return to totally toddler tomes—fewer words, no chapters, and more pictures with one of their favorite and fun authors award-garnering Mo Willems. We're talking about illustrious, illylu—pictures again. SPOILER ALERT—We love the art! So simple, yet so profound with an hint of/ notes of cranberry and sage. And David messes up his animals. Again. Where’s the pigeon?! On his head?
What's up duck?
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Cars and Trucks... and Things That Go and Steve and John
or another of our favorites
Big Words for Little People
Tell us you favorite books and authors in case we forgot the most awesome book ever!
We look forward to hearing from you at:
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Book of Faces: Dads-On-Books
Instant Grams- dadsonbooks
In the third “Since we are Dads on Books, we have daughters, and they can be Guests!“ episode, Mike’s daughter Ruby joins us with one of her favorite books—it's teacher and school librarian approved!!—and our first graphic novel, El Deafo by CeCe Bell. We touch on a mashup of Little House and the Waltons, a German version of the muppets (DasMuppetz), Grease (🎼tell me more, tell me more! 🎶), and other 70s stuff. We also get a little personal and touching. It’s what we do. Check it out.
This time there’s someone next to David—his daughter Delaney! Mike and David welcome their second guest. Ever. We delve into the wonderful world of Percy Jackson. WARNING: this book has no pictures!! And is long. Longer than our previous reads. And read the chapter titles first. Trust us. Trust her. From accidental teacher vaporization to taking a zebra to Vegas or a god buying us a cheeseburger, you won’t regret it. 🍔 And so much sarcasm. PerSassy Jackson as they call him. We learn that tin cans (and 7 layer dip) are vegetables. Oh, and we love it.
Mike and David talk about "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus" by Barbara Park. Let's just say they're not on board with this one--a first! While there's some fun: Mike likes that it's made of paper and when he learned that "a relief is when your stomach doesn't feel squeezy anymore." And David liked STEWED TOMATOES!! this one just isn't their can of tea.
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Ivy and Bean
or
The World According to Humphrey: Oh, For Squeek's Sake
And let us not forget...
It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Mike and David get flat with Stanley! Mike discovers him in a book store in Ohio, and David gets a blast from his past with his nephew's Flat Stanley Project—Flat Stanley was a book?! Travel through time as Mike and David try to figure out when the heck the book was written. 1944? 1964? LANGUAGE WARNING!! Old timey words like “gosh”, “heavens”, and “darnedist” are heavily used. Or at least referred to. Rated HHH—Hopeless! HOPELESS! HOPELESS!!!
Get ready for a "pink-tastic" episode with Mike and David, the Dads on Books! Fresh off Podcast Movement (#pm25), they dove into Pinkalicious. Mike "forgot" the plot, so he rediscovered the joy of her pink transformation. They loved Daddy's "tired finger" and the book's cool collage illustrations. Plus, they had a "comma-n" good time discussing punctuation, especially the ellipsis overuse by the over-50 crowd. They even teased upcoming reads, proving these dads are truly "book-ish.”
Mike and David welcome their first guest. EVER. Mike's daughter and brand new college student Stella who read Ivy and Bean as a child and--spoiler alert--still loves it!! Stella doesn't miss a bean--beat as she dives in to the normal dad banter and tangents on improv, prepositions, and Steve Carrell. Stella brings unexpectedly expected "sass" to the discussion, including (but not limited to) calling out David's struggling tendency to mispronounce "illustrator" as "horrible" and teaching the Dads contemporary slang like "Fire" and "Ate it up" to express approval. Not of them, just in general.
The Dads on Books, Mike and David, chug along discussing The Little Engine That Could, proving they "think they can" podcast! David chose the book, then, like a lost toy, couldn't quite recall why. Mike, however, remembers the 1900s, but not why he went into the kitchen! They explore old-timey art (complete with hyphens!), discover Watty Piper's secret identity, and dissect anthropomorphic trains, even making an "FE" joke, periodically speaking. From page-turn peeves to an SNL parody, the dads keep the conversation on track, even if their research occasionally derails!
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green
or something we found on the webs
Mr Mike's Least~Loved Bedtime Stories
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Welcome to Dads on Books, where Mike and David FINALLY hit record and make an episode after 40 minutes of talking about "random things." They immediately forgot everything. (We blame Blockbuster's brain-erasing technology). Rob Reiff started last week's "Little House in the Big Woods" episode accidentally, in his pocket, and has to rewind it like a cassette tape to listen again. Finally touching on this touching book, "Sleeping Cutie," we, as parents, deeply relate to "I'm not tired!" being yelled at bedtime. Mike tries it and feels like it would be great to work on in therapy. Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney with "fun" artwork Brian Pinkney, the dads are lead on an adventure to a jazzy Dreamland nightclub where Cutie and her toys become the band. Aaand... "HeeeEEERE's Cutie!"
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? Consider one of these fine suggestions:
Little House in the Big Woods
or
The Little Engine That Could
or
The "Loose Ends" Episode (possibly Episode 22, but more likely Episode 88)
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This episode of Dads on Books sees Mike and David finally hit record after a legendary hour-and-a-half pre-show chat! They dive into "Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?", discussing "Cliffnotes" and hilarious plot spoilers like Pa pouring lead bullets. Learn about Laura's supposedly "easy life" with Almanzo, when she marries up. The dads also debate burning wardrobes for fuel, their future as authors in 2042, Mike's passing in 2442 after purchasing YouTube for $25, and the fiscal genius of a triple wedding. All this AND a few musical numbers.
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Little House in the Big Woods
or
Who Was Mike Walker
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This is my boss, Mike & David, we're not millionaires, but we are a heck of 2 guys...
In the latest episode of Dads on Books, we explore the decadence of Fancy Nancy. Nostalgia was on our minds as we careened towards a cliff edge of the Gogos, Hart to Hart, and many other things from the 80s that we say twice. Join us for a tear-filled episode of silliness.
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell- Big Words for Little People
or
Louis Sachar- Sideways Stories from Wayside School
and let us not forget the ever popular
Richard Scarry- Cars and Trucks and Things that Go
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This week David and Mike head "Underground" to learn about how a city's underground systems work. I know, sounds like a snooze-fest. BUT, not only is there a lot to learn about city building, there are little pieces of humor in the pictures that will draw you in.
We really dig this intriguing book by another David, David Macauley.
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Little House in the Big Woods
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Squeektastically Sqeektastic! David and Mike could squeek away for hours about Humphrey (oui oui oui!), but... spoiler alert! (There aren't any real spoilers here). They uncover author Betty G. Birney's hilarious revelation that Humphrey initially had an "Accent." Who knew a book about a rodent could be so touching and inspiring? Reminding us of "Talks-too-Much-Mike" and "Slow-Down-David".
We just love this book. We laughed, we cried...
Looking for another episode? How about:
Dan Gutman's, It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
The Doctor will see you now! In their first Dr. Seuss book discussion, Fox in Socks, Mike and David chew on blue goo and in an unmuddled tweetle beetle battle, happen upon some Suess-lore. And their smart tongues? Just headed out on a trip to Numbs-ville!
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
The Giving Tree
or
Guess How Much I Love You
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This week, the Dads discuss the book Guess How Much I Love You. Dad A quizzes Dad Number One on art mediums, #1 discovers details about the ISBN page, A crosses the globe looking for the location and #1 plans a trip to see his long lost relatives at Walker Books. After all the hubbub, it's a consensus, they both love it!
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Little House in the Big Woods
or
Mrs. McTats and Her House Full of Cats
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Welcome to "Dads on Books," Episode X where Mike and David venture into books for an older audience, don’t worry, it's still a kids book. The dads tackle Little House in the Big Woods, a book so enthralling dad #A bought a vintage set for $5. Join us while we learn about churning butter, smoking a deer (the meat) and other fun stuff. It's a "riveting" journey back in time, with classy dads dishing on an American classic. Check it out.
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Big Words for Little People (where be broke into triple digit downloads)
or
Guess How Much I Love You: It's a Hare-y Tale (That one's from the future, but that's where I'm writing from)
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
In this weeks 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)
Or if you just need to talk to someone...
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This week, David did research and Mike read the back of the book, finding that, "More than 6 million kids have laughed..." They get kooky discussing Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School and explore this surreal, 30-story school, built incorrectly by a man who only said, "My bad". The dads agree the book is wacky, goofy, and slightly shockingly dark (or is that shockingly slightly dark???), BUT it also contains profound truths like, "You need a reason to be sad. You don't need a reason to be happy". Then the great debate of if the Matrix guys read Chapter 25. There's confirmation that the short chapters prevent them from losing any sleep, even while discussing the Matrix with Mrs. Zarves. Tune up (oppsie, I mean "in") before they finally hire that orchestra!
Looking for more? Try this:
It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green (with envy after spending a million hundred dollars on a new library card)
or if you dare...
The Book with No Pictures
But please don't email us. We are very busy reading.
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
This week, Mike and David discuss... nothing. We speak of many nothings, "The Book with No Pictures," which is much like the beginning of life. Just a blank boring canvas. We discuss ideas for seequels, and the deep existentialist meaning of the artistically artsy artistry within the annals of it's history. David drops names, Mike sweeps them up, and in the end just, "Move along, nothing to seeee, hear."
Looking for an episode we touched on in this one? How about:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
or
SouixEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Eeeeeeemail Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
wEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
all live in a yellow submarineeee'
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
BLAH!
This week Davey and Mikey talk about one of Mike's favorite childhood books, "Frog and Toad are Friends." Kermit looks at Toads bathing suit, some interesting things about the author are in discussion and we decide which amphibian fits our personality better. Additionally, Fred and Toad discuss the origins of snail mail. All in all, a ribbiting good time!
p.s. Stilling waiting....
you could listen to use yammer on about
Big Words for Little People
or
The Giving Tree
Email Us- DadsOnBooks@gmail.com
Snail mail our attorneys at:
Kermit, Frogger and Slither
PO Box 006023959X
Pueblo, CO, Europa 51970-6142-0