Dragon Babies

Officially our most-requested book, it’s easy to see why The Thief is beloved by so many dragon babies. Mystery, mythology and a charmingly deceptive narrative structure make this book smart and super enjoyable (no matter your age). This is our first introduction to Megan Whalen Turner and we couldn’t be more delighted. “A romp,” says Madeleine Harnois. Listen in for Newberry Medal resentment, a w...

We’re roaring into 2019 like teenage griffins thanks to Diana Wynne Jones’ Dark Lord of Derkholm ! Revisit cruel capitalist overlord Mr. Chesney and learn whether you, too, are more affected by this book as an adult. Inspired by the trials and tribulations of the Pilgrim Party organizers (and the pilgrims themselves), Grace relives her worst job and Madeleine her worst camping experience. This one...

It's a Hogswatchnight miracle! Our extra special Hogfather episode is here just in time for the holidays. Enjoy & thank you so much for listening! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback, Thatched Villagers and Jingle Bells by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In which Madeleine and Grace visit the land of Faerie - and struggle to return to Wall. Neil Gaiman's Stardust is high fantasy with fascinating twists, plus the signature wit and weirdness that have led us to officially label fall 2018 Gaiman Season. Listeners can look forward to an extended discussion of questing/camping food, detailing the ways Gaiman disproves John Donne’s misogynist epigraph,...

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson is an injection of joy into a weary life. After opening on a wondrous island filled with adorable-beyond-belief mistmakers, we’re traveling to the most magical place of all - London! Join Madeleine and Grace as they fantasize about gigantic sundaes, shop for bladderwrack online and engage in some truly terrible British accents (apologies to our UK listener...

It’s time for the Dragon Babies Election Day special featuring a discussion of racial prejudice and police biases in fantasy literature. Terry Pratchett and Thud! provide plenty of parallels to discuss between Sam Vimes’ approach to troll and dwarf tensions in the city of Ankh-Morpork and human rights violations and inequities in our own society. Listeners can also enjoy an argument about math, di...

We FINALLY managed to read our alethiometer correctly and were told it was high time we covered The Golden Compass ! We joined Lyra, Pantalaimon, Iorek (Grace’s new Favorite Bear) and a couple of the worst parents we’ve encountered in fantasy to transcend this universe and eat a ton of raw seal meat along the way. Discussion ranges from the religious controversy surrounding His Dark Materials to h...

We’re rereading The Raven Ring , by Patricia C. Wrede! Travel with us to Lyra, where there’s a super engaging fantasy murder mystery afoot and endless D&D-esque quests popping up in your path. Have you ever attempted to leave a city again and again, only to be beset by thieves, sworn mortal enemies, and an annoyingly persistent lord? You’ll relate to Eleret as she applies careful logic to the...

This is a mini episode for your mini enjoyment! We rewatched the 2009 film adaptation of Coraline , directed by Henry Selick - and we chatted about it! Check out our Coraline book episode for an in-depth discussion of Neil Gaiman’s superbly creepy novella. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Li...

It's time to take a trip through a bricked-up door, armed with only a rock to ward against unspeakable evil... that's right, we're rereading Coraline, by Neil Gaiman ! Don't be tricked by the delicious roast chicken dinner - Other Mother is up to no good, and the souls trapped behind the mirror aren't the only clue. We discuss the importance of ordinary kids represented in children's literature, i...

Content Warning: Suicide We're celebrating the two year anniversary of Dragon Babies with a return to the series that started it all! While those who have been listening since our first episode will note our marked improvement in podcasting quality, they will be delighted to learn that our fervor for Garth Nix's Abhorsen books remains the same. Naturally, we want to spend every waking moment with...

It's official: Robin McKinley is a master of fantasy and we didn't appreciate her nearly enough when we read her books as kids. Today, we're ready to gush over Spindle's End . This perfect inversion of the Sleeping Beauty story offers a princess who saves herself (and really doesn't sleep much at all), as well as her motley crew of loyal animals and a very grumpy fairy. Faithful listeners may be d...

Head into battle with the ragtag Dragon Babies crew! We're discussing Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith , and loving on Meliara in all her furious, revolutionary glory. Join in as we slog through the mud, sleep underneath ferns, and throw wine in corrupt barons' faces, all with a seriously messed up ankle and a raging fever. Plus: fantasy tea appreciation. When you're not quite ready for your Flower Da...

This is a Very Special Episode about Tamora Pierce's newest gift to us all - Tempests and Slaughter , aka Baby Arram's Book! We just had to depart from our usual fantasy nostalgia approach because this is too exciting to miss. This marks our fourth Tamora Pierce episode - if you're a new listener interested in checking out our others, try our episodes on Alanna: The First Adventure , Emperor Mage...

We're celebrating the glorious arrival of spring with a look back at the The Wind in the Willows ! Hop into your tiny canoe and watch Toad be a complete sociopath, revel in the many miniature English teas, and wonder where the heck the female inhabitants of the river and wood have disappeared to. Plus: how Beatrix Potter, A.A. Milne and Kenneth Grahame created the anthropomorphism mold; Disney's t...

This is an ultimately-not-so-miniature MINI EPISODE about A Wrinkle in Time (2018)! We may not be the intended audience for this film, but we are still going to talk about it! Spoilers ahead, so please listen after seeing the film if you're interested in checking it out for yourself (we do recommend it to any fan of the book). MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (i...

We're completing the Tamora Pierce *Holy Trinity* by following up our episodes on Alanna & Daine with the stoic Keladry of Mindelan ! Discover why Grace and Madeleine think Kel is the most relatable of Tortall's warriors, and fall in love with this wise-beyond-her-ten-years hero all over again. This book is surprisingly prescient, and Kel's personal war against hazing, misogyny and outdated va...

Are Madeleine and Grace the two princesses? Definitely not - but we are still honoring them with one of our most tangent-heavy episodes yet. Even though we're not perfect parallels between Addie and Meryl, we're thrilled to discuss our favorite Gail Caron Levine book, The Two Princesses of Bamarre . Find out why we prefer this book to Ella Enchanted, listen to us argue over whether Vollys is a gre...

A book so perfect for our podcast mission that it has actually been requested by multiple listeners, A Tale of Time City burst into our lives with all the force of a butter-pie being poked into your eye. Listen in to hear us gush over Diana Wynne Jones' fascinating sci-fi/fantasy time travel extravaganza, and then argue over what a butter-pie might be like in real life for far too long. As inhabit...

To follow up our episode on The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, we rewatched The Neverending Story (1984) and an episode of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux (1995). This episode features our brother Patrick! We have a lot of thoughts about these adaptations! DISCLAIMER: We love fantasy literature and most of our episodes are unflinchingly positive. This is...

Falkor. Atreyu. BBB aka Bastian Balthazar Bux aka Boo... Bad Bro (okay we're reaching but stick with the alliteration please). All your old friends are living on forever in Michael Ende's The Neverending Story - but that's a story for another time. Listen in as Grace grows furious discussing hungry heroes on quests, Madeleine creates the Giant Spider Meter and both of us manage to forget nearly ev...

This is a Very Special Episode about Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre production of Howl's Moving Castle! If you're in the Seattle area, we urge you to check out this show ASAP - it's about to close. Beautiful, creative, and totally faithful to the book, this musical adaptation was everything we could have asked for. Disclaimer: this episode was recorded on our mom's couch and in the throes of...

Dragonsong holds within its pages every form of miniature dragon we could ask for - dragon babies, baby dragons, and even baby dragon babies (we've never been more on brand). But that's not the only reason we've loved this book since Grace stole our copy from her 5th grade classroom. By turns triumphant and devastating, Anne McCaffrey's classic novel about a gifted, determined and resilient young...

We saw Terry Pratchett: HisWorld at the Salisbury Museum - and we have thoughts! This episode features Grace and our mother, Elise - Madeleine was not able to join us on the trip but she was there in spirit. Enjoy! Photos of the exhibition are up on our website, dragonbabiespodcast.com. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attributio...

Like your magic with a side of unintended consequences? Dive into four children's thrilling, frightening and nearly supervision-free summer as they discover The Enchanted Castle . As lifelong fans of sinister magical rings, E. Nesbit's classic is fully in our wheelhouse - although it's the absurd quantities of PRETEND FOOD that bring out our true devotion. It's time to swim with marble statues, ch...