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In this week’s edition of Slate’s parenting podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting, Slate editors Allison Benedikt and Dan Kois talk to novelist Gabriel Roth about approaching dark or difficult subjects with your kids through picture books. Then, Slatesters nominate best moms of pop culture. Plus, a listener call on how to talk to children about body image and fitness, and parenting triumphs and fails, including this one:

Items discussed in the show:

• “And People?” by Gabriel Roth in Slate.
• Alfie and the Birthday Surprise by Shirley Hughes
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• Fireboat by Maira Kalman
• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
• Family Ties, Friday Night Lights, Aliens, Love Actually, Empire, The Runaway Bunny, Imitation of Life, Arrested Development, That 70s Show, and Dumbo.

Mom and Dad recommend:

Allison recommends On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier

Dan recommends going to a high school musical with your children, no matter the high school.

This week’s advertiser is Macmillan children’s publishing and the Tractor Mac books by Billy Steers, a heartwarming series about life on a farm.

Contest! To win a Paddington Bluray DVD, email us at momanddad@slate.com to tell us about your dream destination for a family vacation.

Also email us at momanddad@slate.com to tell us what you thought of today’s show and give us ideas for what we should cover in the next edition. Got questions that you’d like us to answer on a future episode? Call and leave us a message at 424-255-7833.

And finally: Come to our live show in Durham, North Carolina on June 7!

Podcast produced by Ann Heppermann. Our intern is Jessie Chasen-Taber.