Rachel & Sam Read A Story

Joined once again by our guest Bridget Renshaw (@BridgetRenshaw), we read a story about a child who ASCENDS past the mere limits of his own fragile child-self and becomes a GOD!! At least, that's my theory. See, this kid discovers the Word. The true Word. The Magic Word. And by the power of Grayskull, he uses it. He uses it to the MAX. And just getting an amazing supply of sneakers isn't enough. He also commands an unholy army of walruses. FEAR AND WORSHIP PEYTON FOR HE IS YOUR NEW LORD AND MASTER!!   Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

There are monsters EVERYWHERE!! Well, not really, just one specific monster, but he IS on every page of this book! And sure, he's a monster, but he hates being called that. Floyd doesn't like labels. And we here at the podcast don't really like labels either. So here's out "friend" back again to join us for an episode, Bridget Renshaw (@BridgetRenshaw). We talk about books. We talk about food. We talk about all of those classic Rachel & Sam Read a Story classic topics, like Malka the dog! And being tired! And more food! And then we talk about this kidney bean shaped guy named Floyd Peterson. He seems like a chill dude for someone who is so classically designed to be scary. Makes ya think. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Rachel, if you did not already know this, is a fan of yarn. Like, a pretty big fan. The number 1 fan? Maybe not, but she's up there. So when she saw on the shelves a book about someone who just wanted to be left alone so that they could knit. SOLD. Easy. So we sat down today and chatted about movies we've been watching/being made to watch and then got into the main event. This old lady just HAD to get some knitting done and she moved HEAVEN AND EARTH to do it! I mean, I'm pretty sure she's a time-lord, but... well you just listen and figure it out for yourselves! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

If listeners of this podcast know one thing, it's that we LOVE Josh Funk (@joshfunkbooks). Also his books are pretty fun. This is the 4th Josh Funk installment and Rachel and I were DELIGHTED to sink our teeth into it. (GET IT?? BECAUSE FOOD!) Inspector Croissant is a food after my own heart. And not just because I love croissants. Especially chocolate ones. But ALSO because I, too, have no idea when/where to properly use a magnifying glass. Is now the time? WHO KNOWS?? But this book is great. We really enjoyed it. So why not listen? WHY NOT LISTEN??? Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

We all have our favorite animals. Mine happens to be the Peregrine Falcon because it is AWESOME. Well not all animals get chosen. Some of those animals are the Blobfish. But Blobfish needs love and friendship too! So Blobfish is going to throw a party! Using his INCREDIBLE SUPERPOWERS Blobfish saves the day and brings about the greatest party known to all of humanity and mermaid-ity and bird-anity and farmer-anity. This book is super fun and adorable and I can personally attest that it brought our very own Rachel out of a deep funk. Thank you so much to Miranda Paul (@Miranda_Paul) for writing it and thanks to Little Bee Books (@littlebeebooks) for sending us a copy! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

It's a Nerdist School Network cross-promotion! Amanda Barnes (@BarnesWrites and @ComicBookNovice) co-hosts the super wonderful and fun podcast The Novice and Frank! It's all about the world of comic books and superheroes, but did we have the perfect book for her! Superheroes taught us a valuable lesson about controlling our emotions and not being a dick. And we had a wonderfully fun time trying to figure out what they're names/super powers are! Isn't it great when a lesson also turns out to be fun? Seriously though, don't be a dick. And listen to Amanda's podcast. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

We are joined this week by the incredibly talented and wonderful person, Harry Valentine (@hairyvalentine). And together we read a book that took three years to complete and won an ACADEMY AWARD. So I think THAT means that it should be good enough for you! The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a wonderful journey into fantasy and an exploration of the love of a really good book. That is, assuming it isn't just the story Morris's brain concocts as he lies dying in the streets. Ummm..... ENJOY!!!!! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

It's that time again. Passover! That time of year when we give up the sweet, sweet carbs we love and settle down to a nice, underwhelming book. This year's entry is Sesame Street themed! And boy, was it.... fine. Grover and Big Bird are visiting their friends in Israel, for some reason, because they don't know any Jews that live near them. For some reason. But WHATEVER! It's Passover! They don't need to explain anything! Just shovel out a new book so that they can cover that small part of the population that wasn't already covered. Also, I can't do Grover's voice. Like, at ALL. But in all seriousness, Sesame Street only exists because of the wonderful people at PBS. PBS provides a wonderful service to families and children all over the country. It's important and should be protected. Please, Support PBS. And support other services like it. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later.

It's the Three Pigs! (editor's note: Not Little Pigs) One builds a house out of straw, another out of sticks, and a third out of bricks! But they build their houses out of THE VERY FABRIC THAT KNITS THEIR WORLD TOGETHER. AND NOW THAT FABRIC HAS BEEN TORN ASUNDER AND THEY MUST JOURNEY THROUGH THE VOID!! But anyway, it's fun! Listen now! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a fine example of children's literature. As you can tell from the careful brushstrokes, to the-HEY EVERYONE!! YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO INTERRUPTING CHICKEN!! IT'S AN ADORABLE STORY ABOUT A LITTLE CHICKEN (note: Not Chicken Little) WHO ALWAYS FEELS THE NEED TO SAVE EVERYONE IN THE FAIRY TALES HIS DAD IS TRYING TO TELL HER! IT'S SUPER ADORABLE! LISTEN NOW! -is why we recommend it. Thank you for your time. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Did you know that they sold bicycles from catalogs? And di you know that they are, like, RIDICULOUSLY cheap? Neither did we. But Clyde knows. And Clyde took full advantage! With the help of his trusty dog, Dawg, Clyde gives riding a bike a try! Rachel and I already know how to ride bikes. Completely. No training wheels for us anymore. No sir. Um.... WELL EITHER WAY WE DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO PODCAST, YES WE ARE PODCASTING NOW HOORAY!! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

  Rachel and I are back to our old tricks! And by tricks, we mean reading awesomely adorable children's books! This week's picture book is NOT a picture book. Except that it is. And isn't? It's confusing. The important thing is that Rachel know about baking and watching TV, and Sam actually listened to an episode of this very podcast. NO WAY!! And this little book was just a strange journey into what the joy of reading can really be. It was great. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Episode #150 It's our SESQUICENTENNIAL!! That means it's our 150th episode. And sure, with lost episodes, and bonus episodes, we may have hit this a couple weeks ago, but this is the podcast with the NUMBER 150!!! So we had to do something special! We were joined by special guests from across the Nerdist School Network: Mike Sellari (no twitter), Chris Lord (@Lordopher), and Ryan Mogge (@rmogge)!! And we had a BLAST!! Super fun hanging out with all these cool people talking about a kinda adorable book. We learned a valuable lesson about whether or not to let birds operate heavy machinery, and had a great time while doing it. So if you enjoy this episode, you should give each of THEIR podcasts a listen! We promise that they are all amazing! Mike has the This on That podcast, Chris does the Timm Talk Podcast (which I was just a guest on), and Ryan has the Nerdist School classic HELLMOUTHY!! So check that out and we'll see you at number 200! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's bo

Iiiiit's SATURDAY! Or it was when we recorded (and I uploaded) this episode! And who better to appreciate a Saturday then a wonderful child. Or an absolutely HORRIBLE child, in this case. Man, if I was this kid's parent, there is no WAY I would put with this level of shenanigans. But these parents do. Because they are saints. Like all parents are, RIGHT MOM?? Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

It ain't easy bein' a ninja. Especially when your family is, like, SUPER busy. But sometimes you have the best family. Ninja! is a fun little story about Maxwell, who is a self-made ninja which is REALLY hard to do, must take on the greatest foe he's ever faced.... a 5-year-old girl. NOOOooOOoOOOoOOooooO!! But luckily, Maxwell has what it takes. And aside from the waste of what looked like a really delicious meal, this little book is sweet and adorable. So check it out! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Man, having a nice family is great. This week and next's podcast are all about just... the BEST families! Thunder Boy Jr., in particular, talks about a son living in the shadows of his Dad and wanting to find a way to find his own identity. It is adorable and beautiful! But I think that we can all agree that the absolute BEST part of this book is when they compliment the name Sam. Mr. Alexie was correct to compliment the greatest of names. We Sam's are humbled to have been gifted with such a good name. And we thank Mr. Alexie for bringing the world's attention to its MAJESTY! So take a listen to Thunder Boy Jr. (by - Sherman Alexie & Yuyi Morales) and revel in being in the presence of a SAM! (and also a Rachel we guess.) Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Ei

Hoo boy, this book... The full title for this book is "Dante's Journey: An Infernal Adventure." And it... it is NOT good. I mean, if you're the sort of parent who wants to TERRIFY YOUR CHILD, then yeah sure, this book is for you. But if you're an parent who is in ANY WAY SENSIBLE, then DAMN. And if you're a millennial like us who takes delight in pointing out the hubris and foibles of hypocritical, then HOORAY! We're gonna have some fun! Because in this podcast.... YOU... will go... to HELL!!!!!! We also had a guest, but he doesn't want to be discovered on the internet, so... Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

Now, I don't know about you, but I play D&D. (I mean, I actually prefer the Savage Worlds play style, since it relies more on creativity and less on dice rolls, but since all I can get is D&D at the moment, it's fine.) And like anyone else who's played D&D, I have raided my share of dungeons and killed my share of Goblins. But what about those Goblins? What about those Dungeons? Don't they have feelings too? Yes. And also they are adorable. Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

After almost two and a half YEARS, Rachel and I finally returned to Rachel's author crush Jon Klassen (@burstofbeaden)! He wrote the books I Want My Hat Back and This is Not My Hat which are absolutely PHENOMENAL children's books. And now there is a third in the Klass-Hat-Based-Books! Hooray! This is the story about two turtles who find a hat. And all the WACKY hijinks that ensue! HAHAHAHAHA!!! What fun! Also, this book is great. Listen now! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!

So last month I took a little trip to something in Pasadena called DesignerCon! While there, I found a little booth where a nice gentleman named Dane Ault (@monkeyminion) was selling children's cooks that he had illustrated himself! And he even had a parody of the Rachel & Sam classic: Are you my Mother? I had to buy it. And I had to surprise/give it to Rachel. It's a cute little book, but you can hear it for yourself! Because that's our final book for 2016! Rachel & Sam Read a Story is about the fun of reading children's books new and old, and also about how little sense these books make when you read them 20 years later. We read the books aloud and make fun of them as we go. Enjoy! Follow Sam (@SamGasch) or follow Rachel (@Sknowite). Either way, please subscribe!