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!

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

We have yet another author guest! It’s Victoria Kann, yes, she of Pinkalicious fame!

We talk about the Pinkalicious origin story (spoiler alert: April Fools!) and how she came up with the title’s design. Victoria talks about her early days as a freelance graphic design artist: a collage of work, if you will. And as always, we talk about her illustration techniques. And, as always, it’s very cool.

We talk about her latest book Snickerdoodle which is published the day after this episode drops! Yes, Victoria shares the origin story. Lots of origin stories in this one! She asked the question, “What if”—sorry. You’re going to have to listen. It’s really fun.

And details? You like details? So many interesting details about her thank yous in her books. And we explore the tremendous amount of wonderful details in the illustrations that we’ve noticed, discovered, rediscovered, and, most importantly, shared with our girls as we read and enjoyed Victoria’s books with them over the years. We hope you will too!

We had such a great time with Victoria and while we weren’t surprised it didn’t make it any less awesome.

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:

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

It’s Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall and Mike and David take a trip back to their childhood, OK not their childhood but at least the era of their childhood. While neither read it as kids, but one of them may have read it to their kids. You must listen to find out.

The book is kind of clever, silly, fun, and even a bit dated, but in a good way like a good old classic. Is Miss Nelson missing? Will they ever find her? And if so, will she be changed or will she be the same Miss Nelson who we fell in love with a little bit from the very beginning? Intrigue and suspense. Just read it to find out.

This book has everything. There’s a lovely teacher, horribly behaving kids, really fun illustrations, mathematics, sharks (very unpleasant), and Mars. It’s a fun read especially to read with and to young kids.

And Dad Jokes. Many Dad Jokes.

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay

Lisa Desimini, one of our fun illustrator/author conversations

Shrek because of fun illustrations and the hairs of our chinny chin chins

Future episodes: No, David and The Stupids

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