Couldn’t wait for part two with illustrator/author Lisa Desimini? Now you don’t have to.

Lisa, Mike, and David continue their conversation with some rainy weather, 64 (or 64,000?) crayons, and a culinarily interesting conversation about marshmallows. It’s yummy.

We discuss The Fleatastics, Lisa’s “second funny book”, how she came up with the idea, and how she discovered that she’s funny: her editor told her she’s hilarious.

Speaking of origin stories, Mike tells us how we came talk with our first author guest Dan “The Man” Gut “The” Man and many of his friends. And one of their friends, i.e., a.k.a., etc., Lisa.

In part one, we discussed My Beautiful Child, She Sang Promise, in this episode we talk about Fleatasticks and Fire Pups and o’er stuffs.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love these other author interviews:

Our Dan Dutman episode without Dan: Gutman: It’s Halloween I’m Turning Green

And our two episodes with Dan: Where are Dr. Carbles Marbles! and where's my Pfeffernusse?

Lisa’s friend author/ illustrator Dan Yaccarino on Sorrento, Piccolo, and Jacques Cousteau, parte uno

El Deafo and when kids are inspired

Future episode: Most Marshmallows by Rowboat Watkins

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:

David’s newest favorite book store in beautiful Golden, BC, Canada: Four Points Books. It’s in an old building with new books on the first floor and gently used books on the second floor. David and his girls may have bought one or two or seven books there. Shh. Tax deductible.

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 time for another guest!

An author? Sort of. Another daughter? Yes, but not ours’s.

It’s Illustrator/author Lisa Desimini!!! I mean-ie, we talk about books so why not have people who illustrate and write books, right?
Lisa, disseminate de Samini disseminate den't se meany, Desimini is the illustrator and/or author of over 30 children’s books. Mike and David have read a number of them and loved all of them. She is our sixth author to chat with us on the podcast and if you include our daughters, our 12th guest. And after you listen to this episode, you’ll understand why she definitely ranks in our top 20.

Seriously, we have a great conversation and a fun time hangin' with Lisa. And talking about her many books. And we had so much fun, we had to split it into two episodes. So heeeere’s part one where we blah blah yada yada blah. Please enjoy.

In part one, we discuss My Beautiful Child which Lisa wrote and her husband Matt illustrated, She Sang Promise, Lisa gives us so many gifts and insights about illustrating and creating—ok, here’s an example: “That’s what’s great about children’s books: they’re deceptively simple. Every time you read it, you see something new.” Or, as Mike comments, you read and you read and you... and even the 45th time, “There’s always something new to discover.” “Magical things like that happen all the time in the world of children’s books.” What's that, you say? What magical bread things? Listen and find out.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love these other author interviews:

Dan Yaccarino on Sorrento, Piccolo, and Jacques Cousteau, parte uno

Where are Dr. Carbles Marbles! and where's my Pfeffernusse?

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:

David’s new favorite book store in Calgary, AB, Canada: Books Between Friends a very local bookstore that donates all of its profits to charity.
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

Indy’s Pension? Hey, a Raider of the Lost Ark deserves to retire in comfort. Aaaaand in a very special July 4 episode, the Dads celebrate the 250th birthday of our great nation. Mike and David return to the Who/What was/is series to discover what is the Declaration of Independence by reading and then discussing What is the Declaration Independence? by Michael C. Harris. To follow half of the rules of Seinfeld, there will be no hugging. But there will be some learning. A whole lot of learning going on. So much so in fact that we debut a “things that we do a lot in our show“ a.k.a. feature called IDNKT aka “I did not know that.”

Even though David was an American history, major, and Mike is, well, pretty smart, and they both grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings eating Captain crunch out of giant bowls while their parents slept off hangovers (a message to therapists from Gen X: “you’re welcome!”), they still learned so much about this amazing document. For example—nope. Not gonna give you anything. Just check it out. Oh although, as is often the case with learning, answers begat questions. For example: to paper or to parchment? That is the question. The answer? Again, check it out!

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

For more American history check out
George Washington’s Teeth, Ruby Bridgeswhere we talk about not one but two books about her, and A Juneteenth Jamboree.

Like The Who/What Was/Is Series? Check out Who was Laura Ingles Wilder?.

No relevance. We just really like this one: Mrs. McTats and her House Full of Cats. Relevant because it’s from last year (episode 3 three(!))so it’s history? Again, no relevance.

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? Please tell us about your favorite library or independent book store in your town. Or if you have questions, comments, concerns, or want to send us your favorite Dad Joke:

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

If this is it Monsters, don't eat broccoli.
The Dads judge a book by its cover: we liked it. So there. Mike did a slight rewrite. He took some liberties with the words nothing major, just a word here maybe a syllable there, and the Dads test the results, they take it for test drive, if you will.

It’s a fun read with monsters doing all kinds of fun things—eating trucks and tractors and toys all washed down with fruity oil, shopping with vim and vigor—but they don’t eat broccoli. 🥦

If you liked this episode, you’ll like this:

More mayhem with green stuff: How Martha Saved her Parents from Green Beans

Don’t like broccoli or other things green? You’ll love Pinkalicious!

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

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Please, please tell us about your favorite library or independent book store.

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

It’s the Dads’ first annual “Hey, let’s do a Juneteenth book” book. Or, as Mike put it, “If the world has a day, then we should read a book about it” book. That’s a whole lot of books.

We talk about A Juneteenth Jamboree—a super fun “experience book” (we made that up) about celebrating Juneteenth. Spoiler alert: David’s favorite art form: watercolor and ink. Spoiler alert again: the art is beautiful and David talks about it. Splotches! Splashes! Spots! And precision.

A multi-sensory experience. You see the kitchen and smell the food. You see it, and you want to taste it. Nerm. Nerm. See and hear the music and sounds—so much good stuff.

Even though we know where it’s going—a Juneteenth jamboree, it’s still fun getting there. And we’re calling this a Gateway or Launch book: while you won’t learn a lot about Juneteenth, it’s a great starting point to read to or with your kids about a family celebrating Juneteenth that can lead to further exploration and learning about the history and the holiday. And since David is from Texas, and studied African-American history in college, he approooooves this message.

Like this episode? You’ll love this one. A touching episode about a Civil Rights hero: Ruby Bridges. And some of our favorite watercolor art and more history: George Washington’s Teeth. And a soon to be dropped episode: Book of Greek Myths. Stay tooned.

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

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Please, please tell us about your favorite library or independent book store.

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

It's time for another "We picked a book because Mike said so" episode. In Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema with pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon, the Dads banter on M&Ms, Mars and Snickers and Mars Bars and—boy do they need to sponsor us!! When they get to the book, David declares, "You can judge a book by its cover." "Sort of." You might think we'll find out why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears—'Cause they're annoying?—well, yes, but there is so, so, so much more as the David suspects.

In this standard itsy-bitsy spider/if you give a mouse a cookie/if this then that and then that story we learn a lot of sounds from animals in Africa like, "mek mek mek," "waswusu," and everyone's all time favorite, "taa."! Wanna find out what animal makes what sound? Listen and play, "Whaaaat's...thaaat...Souuuuuuund?!?". Or read the book. Ok. Both. There's some great animal personification like Old Man Iguana and the ending—the. Ending. Read. Then listen. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It's a quick, sun read ideal for reading to your very little ones. WARNING: you will be required to make lots of animal sounds!! Krik Krik Krik and Badamin Badamin, e.g. And Leo and Diane Dillons' illustrations (The description of the art for this book alone is worth reading: there were many, many words, some of which Mike and David knew!) are beautiful and filled with fun details to talk about and point out and laugh about and figure out.....check it out

We give this one 4 Thumbs Up!

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

Dan "I am a Story" Yaccarino parte uno and parte due

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

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Please, please tell us about your favorite library or independent book store.

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

And if you have a favorite local bookstore or library, let us know and we can mention it too.

Mike and David read Matilda by Rao—Raold—Roaold—Mr. Dahl. And illustrated illustriously by Quentin Blake. Mike suggested Dahl, and David saw the musical, and the rest is history. Or literature.

And despite the book’s youth, it’s a classic. A fantastic story that has spawned two movies and countless productions of the musical. In fact, it inspired the Dads to come up with a new DoB feature: B v. M or Book versus Movie (or Musical). Who won the first one? Both.

But one thing the Dads couldn’t figure out? How to say Rauold, Raoold, Ruaoulde—Mr. Dahl’s name. Never could figure it out. Auoalt? Aoooout? You get the picture. In any event, the Dads have three words for you: Check it out!

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

After some forays into classics, very classic classics, historical novels, and other serious books, the Dads return to nutty silliness and qwacky whackiness to lighten it up a little with How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans, a fun and funny book by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mark Fearing.

What did we like about this book? Besides green beans? Oh, let’s see, how about green beans singing off key? Or when the really realistic tomatoes splat against the wall and green beans get catapulted by mysterious vines? And happy lettuce and ominous carrots. Talk about tossed salad! Or as Mike pointed out “There’s nothing bad about a nice, leafy salad.” But you can’t trust radishes. And Mike's made up a whole new word—tomato-pult—don’t you dare close your eyes.

There’s fabric illustration, foreshadowing, and more fore shadowing (AND there are four shadows to boot). It's a fun talk about a fun book. Check it out.

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

Dan Yaccarino parte uno and parte due
Pinkalicious!!! by Victoria Kann

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

Alternate episode titles: Marth Vader and the Beans of Destiny