Dragon Babies

Continue your quarantine reading adventures with a magical trip to Venice! The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke offers up plenty of capers, endless ice creams and a surprisingly complex look at class issues. Follow a group of runaway kids living in an abandoned theater as they outsmart and ultimately befriend a quirky detective - and seek out a mysterious stolen carousel with long-rumored magical powers. Just look at that last sentence - how can you resist?? We certainly can’t. This episode was a listener request - thank you, Nina! If you’d like to make a request, leave a comment or email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We revisit Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and conclude that we are currently down a much less fun rabbit hole. Grace and Madeleine attempt to draw a link from Lewis Carroll’s works to the existence of Hot Topic, unpack some of the book’s historical context to better inform its many controversies and consider what a treacle mountain might look like. While we may not have any groundbreaking insights to offer, we do have Adventure Time and Oblivion references! This episode was a listener request - thank you, Angela! If you’d like to request a book for us to cover, get in touch at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com. Note: This episode features brief discussion of some adult themes (drug use, the ongoing debate over Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s sexual preferences). MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’ve found the perfect quarantine reread! A lyrical, masterful meditation on solitude, power and the glory of big cats and magical boars, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip is a delight. Grace and Madeleine discuss the appeal of going it alone in your crystal wizard dome vs. the more realistic outcome of heading to Sirle to get married. Whether you’re in total isolation or holed up with your foster son, riddle master boar and insatiable yearning for the Liralen, we think you’ll enjoy this one. Also, BLAMMOR. Content warning: mentions of sexual assault. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Return to the warm embrace of a beloved childhood classic that’s surprisingly disturbing and sad! The Borrowers by Mary Norton is a weird, fun read for human beans of all ages. Madeleine and Grace explore the complex messages, tiny foodstuffs and flawed worldviews that make up Arrietty Clock’s life. Plus: was Parasite inspired by The Borrowers? Do you love shrimp salad? And a bonus Easter egg hunt interlude! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Has a kitten recently approached you and demanded that you perform increasingly dangerous pranks? Get everything you need to handle the situation (including a step by step exorcism!) with The Witches of Worm, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Grace and Madeleine explore Snyder’s subtle blurring of the line between fantasy and reality, indulge in a TV dinner reverie and even return to Madeleine’s Law Corner. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Just in time for quarantine: a super-sized Dragon Babies special! We’re covering the anthology The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Ease yourself into the soothing power of the wood and leave your troubles behind. Unfortunately, this episode does have a few sound issues - our apologies! Guess the wood sprites weren’t into us discussing their secrets. Works included in this anthology: - Going Wodwo by Neil Gaiman - Grand Central Park by Delia Sherman - Daphne by Michael Cadnum - Somewhere in My Mind There is a Painting Box by Charles de Lint - Among the Leaves So Green by Tanith Lee - Song of the Cailleach Bheur by Jane Yolen - Hunter’s Moon by Patricia McKillip - Charlie’s Away by Midori Snyder - A World Painted By Birds by Katherine Vaz - Grounded by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Overlooking by Carol Emshwiller - Fee, Fie, Foe, et Cetera by Gregory Maguire - Joshua Tree by Emma Bull - Ali Anugne O Chash (The Boy Who Was) by Carolyn Dunn - Remnants by Kathe Koja - The Pagodas of Ciboure by M. Shayne Bell - Green Men by Bill Lewis - The Green Word by Jeffrey Ford MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Grace and Madeleine continue on in their quest to become the preeminent Diana Wynne Jones podcast by diving into the warped, nihilistic worlds within The Homeward Bounders. We discuss why this may be Diana Wynne Jones' best book, Helen's unparalleled Look, and the joys of Jamie's first person narration. Whether you've found Home again or you're still out searching for the next Bound, hopeless or still with a kernel of optimism somewhere in your soul, this incredible book has something to offer. This episode was a listener request - thanks, Ramsey! If you'd like to make a listener request, email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Ready to leave the House behind and head off on an endless journey with an obnoxious prince? Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee gives us access to the thoughts of relatable, tenacious Claidi through her journal entries. She travels across the not-so-horrible-after-all Waste while ruminating on young love, the pointlessness of human rituals and her true identity. Madeleine and Grace get into just why Claidi is so appealing, and why the CLOCK is now their personal religion. Join us! Note: this book is titled Law of the Wolf Tower outside the U.S. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’re traveling to Trewissick to embark on the best summer holiday of our young lives! Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper brings the battle between the forces of Arthurian good and evil to the sunny Cornwall coastline. We dive headlong into our own summer reminiscences, recalling childhood conspiracy plots and wishing we’d had some real-life Withers rogues to battle along the way. Plus, some particularly robust Pretend Food and discussion of fantasy on the fringes of a good ol’ mystery adventure. Parting words of wisdom: if you’re going to need to search a seaside cave for a grail, bring along a small child to do the dirty work for you. This episode was a listener request - thank you, Dan, Jenny and Aileen! If you’d like to request a book for us to cover, email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Madeleine and Grace travel to Luster and encounter plenty of childhood memories along the way! Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville kicks off the Unicorn Chronicles, introducing us to friends like Lightfoot, the Dimblethum, Thomas the Tinker and the inimitable Squijum. While discussing the warm embrace of Coville’s unicorn world, we reminisce about our bizarre childhood writing and harken back to Madeleine’s opus, “The Adventures of Stupid Turtle.” MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Queen of Attolia has it all - back and forth kidnapping, multi-kingdom wars, spies, queasy love stories, and that scamp Eugenides continuing to fool us all. We’re continuing our exploration of the The Queen’s Thief series by Meghan Whalen Turner, and while we have a few issues with a romance that begins with amputation, we’re dazzled by Turner’s tricky plot filled with winking secrets. Listen in and experience Madeleine railing against the gods, Grace wondering at fantasy nihilism, and both sisters engaging in some illness-fueled squabbling. It’s the Dragon Babies way! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’ve arrived at our most scandalous episode to date, and it all starts with the saucy paperback cover featuring a shirtless Sandy and Dennys under a soft-eyed angel. Yes, we’re diving into Many Waters, by Madeleine L’Engle, and we’re rushing to get out of dodge before the flood while also wondering whether the Oasis deserves all this apocalyptic punishment in the first place! Madeleine and Grace take uncharacteristically opposing stances on this one, and debate the merits of a YA retelling of a biblical doozy. Tiny mammoths abound and things get sandy. You’re welcome to try to approach a unicorn, but first we’ll need to know - do you have your driver’s license? Whether you’re a fan of the Deux Ex Manticore or not, we think there’s plenty to explore in this trippy journey back in time. NOTE - While still technically clean, this episode features discussion of sexual content present in the book and may not be suitable for young listeners. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We revisited Beauty, by Robin McKinley, and were left asking the same question this centuries-old fairy tale always inspires: is this relationship… okay? You can probably guess our answer, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out our journey into McKinley’s gorgeous, gothic fantasy story. We follow Beauty as she learns to love herself (inside and out) and appreciate a more melancholy, thoughtful Beast. Join us! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is a special Halloween mini episode about our favorite animated miniseries, Over the Garden Wall! We explore the children’s fantasy literature and fairy tales that influenced the series, as well as our own nostalgic twinges inspired by the Unknown. Thanks so much for the special episode idea, Amy! If you have a request of your own, get in touch at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com. We discuss a TON of pieces of animated ephemera in this episode - you can find links to all on our website, dragonbabiespodcast.com! Music from https://filmmusic.io - "Sonatina in C Minor" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) - License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Are you searching for the Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood? Are you a knight who may or may not also be a fox? Do you get tired of all the grain growing in your hair? We’ve got the perfect episode to ease your troubles and end the ceaseless winter. Meredith Ann Pierce’s dreamy coming-of-age fairy tale has something for the Hannah in all of us. Listeners will also enjoy learning the unorthodox way in which Grace managed to convince her cat to come home last week. Grab your badger & magpie friends and listen in! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/