Mike and David turn to a classic, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, an historical novel set in the Oklahoma panhandle during the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.

David and Mike—well Mike—tells the origin story of how the Dads picked the book, but this is the origin story of all origin stories. It is the origin of the entire original podcast idea.

We also continue our feature “Things We Forgot to Say on our Last Episode.” Or, in this case, “Things that David Forgot that he didn’t Forget and Says Them Thinking it’s the First Time He’s Saying Them To Mike and it’s Not.” (Working title- may need to be lengthened)

David rediscovers it’s the OK Panhandle not the Texas Panhandle. Not the Good Panhandle, not the Bad Panhandle, just the OK Panhandle, because as it says on the license plate, "Oklahoma is OK." Which is good because the Texas panhandle would spill the dust.

Speaking of which, in our new feature, “Do They Say the Title in the Book?” Let’s just say pp. 149, 181, 197, 198, 203, 209, 222. To name a few.

It’s a beautifully written story, and we both very highly recommend it, and staying out of the dust. Especially if you have allergies.

If you liked this episode, you’ll like these:
Other stories about American history:

The Ruby Bridges Story: a story of a the Anerican Civil Rights movement
George Washington’s Teeth: a funny and gripping (and sometimes not so gripping) true tale of, well, our first president’s dental health.

Places we love to buy books:
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
Keller Public Library

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Please, please tell us now about a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

Our very first episode of our very second season!!!

There's so much in this episode, that we don't know where to begin. The beginning? Why not? David discovers that the tale of Rip Van Winkle is about the tale Rip Van Winkle. We know. He’s a late bloomer. Mike shows us his xylophone thing. He, too, blooms late. And Clean Slate David discovers—SPOILER ALERT— “This IS the guy who falls asleep!!”!!! And there are words that we have never seen, heard, read before. And since.

A true American classic—one of the first!—with some archetypal characters: there’s Kate from The Taming of the Shrew--or was it Kate and Allie?--aka Dame Van Winkle and her dame punishments! Mentions of the Georges: Washington and the III, and so amny more!

The Dads have been on books, classics, and now, they dig deep and delve into, dare we say, literature? Indeed we dare. You should delve, too.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love these classics:
The Giving Tree: Our first classic, our first book, our first episode!
Some of our favorite classic (I'm not) board books: Guess How Much I love You, Each Peach Pear Plum, Goodnight Moon, and so many more!!

AND Check out all of our author episodes:
Dan Gutman. Part One and Part Two
Dan Yaccarino: Part Uno, Part Due
Chris Grabenstein: Stinky Stories #6: Stinking Beauty
Part One, Part Two.
Alan Katz: Part One, Part Two
Linda Harkey: The Case of the Missing Pink Piggy

With a special guest appearance:
The Twig Bookshop San Antonio,TX
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
Keller Public Library

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

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

How do we start the last episode of our first season? With our first RL Stein book: Goosebumps: Monster Blood!

Is it the first or the third or the 30th of the Goosebumps series? Mike tells us, David doesn’t listen and tries to figure it out, and then David figures it out!

Speaking of first or third, in this last episode of season one, there are many firsts! First R. L. "Jovial Bob" Stine Book. First podcast episode recorded entirely in Texas, but without the Dads being together. First time David records away from home—shout out to the Grapevine (Texas) Public Library. Do Mike and David like the book? Here’s a hint: they can’t wait to meet RL “Bob“ Stine to tell him how much they—

Aaaaaaaand back to the book. The Dads had really, really—while we're on adverbs, Stine skillfully and deftly uses awesomely, cooly placed adverbs like "thoughtfully" and "uncertainly". OK, the book. We really, really liked the names, yes great names like Evan, Aunt Kathryn, and Aaaaaaaaandreaaaaaa or is it AnDREaaaaaaaaaaa or ANDReeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaa? Listen—and read—to find out. So did we like it? Like we typed, listen, watch, learn.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love this one:
Stink and the Attack of the Slime Mold you had us at Slime!

AND Check out all of our author episodes:
Dan Gutman. Part One and Part Two
Dan Yaccarino: Part Uno, Part Due
Chris Grabenstein: Stinky Stories #6: Stinking Beauty
Part One, Part Two.
Alan Katz: Part One, Part Two
Linda Harkey: The Case of the Missing Pink Piggy

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

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
Keller Public Library

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

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

You might wanna check this out while watching the episode. Listeners beware: it's a visual thing. You wouldn't understand.
When you need it while watching.

Mike and David have a wonderful conversation with author Linda Harkey award winning writer of many wonderful books from Story Monsters.

The Dads talk about her latest book, The Case of the Missing Pink Piggy, a wonderful mystery that might get you a little misty-eyed. Just a little. Like pack rat size. No, smaller. It’s a fun tale of VFDs—What’s a VFD you may ask? You’ll have to listen to find. A hint: it’s a good thing. A V good thing—and their Squeeze Toy.

Linda told us, “To me, everything’s a story.” We couldn’t agree more. The only thing Linda loves more than animals is writing about animals. OK, maybe it’s a tie, a toss up if you will, a draw? The point is, we had a fun conversation with Linda, AND, you should listen to it.

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

Check out all of our author episodes:

Dan Gutman. Part One and Part Two
Dan Yaccarino: Part Uno, Part Due
Chris Grabenstein: Stinky Stories #6: Stinking Beauty
Part One, Part Two.
Alan Katz: Part One, Part Two

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

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
Keller Public Library

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 sure love stinky books and books with slime mold, so Stink and the Attack of the Slime Mold by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is the most logical choice for their next book.

And not to reveal too much, they both really really really really liked this one! In the story, a boy named Stink decides to feed and grow his science experiment mold at home. What could possibly go wrong?

Highlights? David says “trope”. Mike says “moniker.” David says, “Nope.” Mike says, “Nope.” Mike turns a negative into a positive. Literally. There’s learning (real), crying (fake), David figures out in 50 episodes how to adjust his levels. Mike does an amazing Captain Kirk, twice! And so much more!

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

Danny's Doodles: The Jelly Bean Experiment by by David Adler: a similarly fun chapter book about a boy and his friend, a science experiment, and some silliness and craziness that ensues.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar: this school is almost as sideways as the stories!

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney. Another book where a school is all amuck. And stuff.

And the weirdest school of them all? The My Weird School Series by our friend Dan Gutman. He was our first author guest. Check it out: Part One and Part Two

And talk about Stinky? Check out the latest in our friend Chris Grabenstein's Stinky Stories: Stinky Stories #6: Stinking Beauty
And our two episodes with Chris: Part One, Part Two.

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

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
Keller Public Library

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

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

In another Back to the Basics (and Board Books) or BB(BB) episode, Mike and David dish on one of David's favorites, Each Peach Pear Plum. Mike's opinion? "It's one of David's favorites."

Why did David like it so much? Is it the nursery rhyme characters or lots of neat "I spy" details that David certainly noticed when he read it to his girls? Or is it, that it's illustrated in his favorite art medium/media: black ink with watercolors! You'll have to listen to find out.

The Dads also discuss what makes a classic? While this book is older than their daughters, it's younger than they are. Weigh in if you'd like.

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

The Giving Tree: Dads on Books Origin Story and becuase Mike and Kim are genereux
Warrior Cats: Into the Maps, the maps...
Mrs. McTats and Her House Full of Cats: a pastoral in pen and watercolor

Olivia Helps with Christmasbecause... see The Giving Tree above

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

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
Keller Public Library

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love?

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

zAnd now part two of our talk with Alan Katz, author, poet, father, and really awesome guy.

There's more jokes and what if we talked a poem called, "What If" and fun stories about about legal name changes and identity confusion with other writer. (Don't worry, no one got hurt)

Alan shares more of his writing rules inlcuding (but not limited to) "Everything you do, any job you pick, is going to involve wriitng." and "Keep creating. Keep being funny." And so much more!

Speaking of funny, Alan, Mike, and David all tell funny dad jokes as they are funny dads.

To buy some of Alan's books check out (see what we did there?):

Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs
S.O.S.: Society of Substitutes

If you liked this episode, you'll LOVE these:

Alan Katz part one

Pinkalicious!!! by Alan's dear dear friend Victoria Kann
Our first Dan Guest: Dan Gutman Part One and Part Two
And our second Dan Guest: Dan Yaccarino parte uno and parte due
Our third Dan—Chris guest: Chris Grabenstein Part One and Part Two

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

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

Thanks for indulging our April Fool's Day episode. Now back to the real stuff with the real Alan Katz, author of 1 or 2 or 52 books, and, to quote Alan, "twelve of them are good." We disagree. The other 40 R2.

There's lots of jokes, especially, "What does this doodad do, Dad?"—the ultimate dad joke!!—lots of laughing, but—SPOILER ALERT!!—some deep stuff too. Alan shares some of his writing rules the most important of which is: Rule #1.

Oh, you wanna know what it is? OK. "I will never make a joke at the expense of someone. Kindness come first." You’ll have to listen to get more!

We do actually talk about a lot of his silly, funny, and awesome books including the SOS series, his Lieographies, Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, The Day the Mustache Took Over.

So much fun this is only part one!!

If you liked this episode, you'll LOVE these:

Pinkalicious!!! by Alan's dear dear friend Victoria Kann
Our first Dan Guest: Dan Gutman Part One and Part Two
And our second Dan Guest: Dan Yaccarino parte uno and parte due
Our third Dan—Chris guest: Chris Grabenstein Part One and Part Two

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

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