In our first holiday episode—well, at least our first episode on a book about a holiday around the same time that the holiday that the book is about falls—anyway here’s our first book about Hanukkah: All about Hanukkah by Judyth Groner and Madeline Wikler, illustrated by Kinny Kreiswirth.

Everything you wanted to know about Hanukkah and so much more! Among other things, David doesn't start at the beginning and eventually figures it out. Mike learns the origin story of a scene that David did with Mike's wife Kim in the 1900s, and even Mike learns a thing or two about the history of Hanukkah despite celebrating for many years with his family.

The ultimate debate is resolved: when it comes to latke toppings (sour cream or applesauce?), the answer is…take a listen.

The episode wraps up with Dad Joke Monday featuring not one, but two Dad Jokes as there are two Dads. So that’s one per dadica. (Latin for “per dad”)

Next week? Our first Christmas episode, well our first one near Christmas.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love our first one about a Christmas book Olivia Helps with Christmas aka Christmas in May.

Peter Mallin

Holidays Begin at Home

Holy carp! this is our 30th episode

and at this moment we have 988 listens!!

Mike and David return to short books—board books even!—with Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, and they are so excited about good and night being two words and the comma in the title!!

The Dads discuss the nods to Goodnight Moon including the ever-present mouse and the ever-present, or almost always ever-present balloon and other mysteries and controversies.

The chat? Mike comes clean, David learns he’s been mispronouncing something for decades. The art? Vibrant palate, beautiful colors and really cool details including nods to children’s literature and even television references.

Check it out.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love:

Goodnight Moon, one of the inspirations of this book.

Good night. Or Good. Day. Or Good Grief, Charlie Brown...

We get to part two of our conversation with My Weird School series (and many many other silly and some not silly books) Dan Gutman. Our surprise guest shows up. Will we find Dr. Carbles? Or his marbles? Take a listen and find out.

Bonus stuff:
Dan’s writing tips for young (and old) aspiring writers:

• Start with “what if?” and add imagination. What if Castro became an Astro?
• Get ‘em with the first sentence.
• Regarding drafts: “pretend to be somebody else while reading what you wrote.“
• Put the draft aside and read it later.

Dan and David try to outdraw each other and we don’t mean in the Jim Paillot way.

We learn what inspired Dan to be a writer (it wasn’t because he wasn’t good enough at baseball, but that didn’t hurt!).

We discover how much he prepared for our book talk —“We start in an hour and—oh crap! We’re gonna talk about Dr. Carbles losing his marbles! Do I even have that? Do I even remember it?!”

And other fun things.

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

Dan Gutman is a Nutman, Part 1

The FIRST time Ruby joined us it was the whole episode! El Deafo

Dan’s It’s Halloween, I’m Turning Green!

Rappy the Raptor