My Enduring Obsession with The Snow Queen (Grace's Reading Corner)

Have you been craving a close reading of the final passage of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen? No? Well, you should probably listen to this Grace’s Reading Corner not-so-mini episode about why society loves a snowy queen anyway.

This episode focuses specifically on the illustrated edition by the wonderful Mary Engelbreit, which remains a personal influence.

This is a very vibes-forward Cold Book Episode, so grab some cocoa and a blanket and snuggle up for a listen!

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A translation of Hans Christian Andersen's "Sneedronningen" by Jean Hersholt (original fairy tale)

Mary Engelbreit illustrations mentioned:

The Santa Claus Book

The 1957 Russian adaptation

A Summary and Analysis of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Snow Queen’ Fairy Tale by Dr. Oliver Tearle

Tales from Earthsea (2006) - Patreon Launch!

We’re so excited to launch our Babetreon - and we’re taking the first episode out from behind the paywall! We're discussing the 2006 Ghibli film Tales from Earthsea in all its messy glory.

Join for $3/mo to get an extra episode every month. We’ll be covering a broader range of materials than we typically do on the main feed - reviews of film and TV adaptations of our favorite books, fantasy picture books, inspirations for our favorite authors' works, plus voting on our next episodes, and much more!

These exclusive episodes will also be a little freer form and they'll delve into Dragon Babies After Dark territory (some good ol' cussin'). Plus, you'll get your very own Pretend Food enamel pin when you sign up (just look at how beautiful they are).

*Please note that this episode is explicit.

Episode 103 - The Arkadians, by Lloyd Alexander

Enchanted poet-donkeys assemble: we’re covering The Arkadians, by Lloyd Alexander! You’ll love this meta retelling of various Greek mythologies and epics as told through the adventures of Lucien, Joy-in-the-Dance, Fronto, and the approximately 500 other goofy characters they encounter along the way. As the self-proclaimed Emo Fantasy crowd, we love Lloyd Alexander very much and it was a delight to reread his Greek Romp Experiment. Plus: if you’re a fan of the 1994 CD-ROM game Wrath of the Gods, then boy do we have a treat for you. Join us!

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The Arkadians on the Lloyd Alexander Wiki

The best computer game of all time, Wrath of the Gods

Episode 102 - Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne Jones

In which gods become dogs and get stuck in their bods! We’re discussing Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne Jones in all its celestial, dog-brained glory. Sirius the dog star is punished for a mysterious murder by being trapped in an earthly pup form - and his only way back to his galaxy is to find the enigmatic Zoi that he threw down to Earth. Leave it to DWJ to make this conceit at turns heartbreaking, hilarious and ultimately bittersweet. Madeleine maintains that for those similarly traumatized by The Tigger Movie, this is a tough read. Grace is too consumed by big dumb dog thoughts to ponder anything other than dumpster leftovers and the lure of the Wild Hunt. Join us!

This episode was a listener request - thank you, quemmegalaxy! If you’d like to make a request, leave a comment or email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

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Mondragon Books in Lewisburg, PA

The Green Ribbon

Episode 101 - Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

As would-be dragon riders and adolescents during the early 00’s, we’re perfectly positioned to discuss Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. This one has haunted us since we started the podcast - we knew it was inevitable and yet we procrastinated until our 101st episode. We break down our conflicted feelings about this teen-penned dragon epic and own up to our own teenage jealousies of both the protagonist and the author himself. Is it a good idea for a child to have a book published by a major house? Is Saphira too subservient to her puny human friend? Is it cool to openly lust after an unconscious woman? Our answers won’t surprise you, but we think you’ll get a kick out of listening anyway!

Note - the audio is a bit crummy on this one due to issues with a non-standard setup, definitely still listenable but not at our usual quality.

Shoutout to listener Bailey’s long-ago request for an Eragon hate podcast!

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Dragon - Focal Point of Movie box office rankings