Send us a text

Redge takes Jonathan on a wild ride through the city of Litropia, heading straight through a brick wall into the hidden tunnels of a secret lair. Deep beneath the streets, they meet Rat King Cam M. Bert, a cheese-loving, pun-tastic ruler who keeps Once Upon a Time’s magical trains running on schedule. From the buzzing Bee-Train to the groovy Bandstand Train and the twinkling Jolly Holly Express, every ride is full of surprises. But when a jolly jam threatens to derail the fun, Jonathan and Redge join the Rat King to keep the tunnels full of holiday cheer.

Go to the episode webpage: https://jonincharacter.com/lair-of-the-rat-king/

DOWNLOAD COLOR PAGE: https://bit.ly/dorktalesEP123colorpage

GRAB YOUR FREE PDF list of conversation questions for this episode:
https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/ep123freePDF

PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: “Lair of the Rat King” celebrates curiosity, teamwork, and joyful problem-solving. When Jonathan and Redge drive into the secret tunnels of Litropia, they meet the Rat King, who proudly oversees a bustling network of magical trains. Together, they discover the importance of working cooperatively to solve problems, think creatively under pressure, and spread kindness to keep the holiday cheer on track. The story highlights how humor, gratitude, and collaboration can make tricky situations turn into times of connection and fun.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY about the Rat King, you may also enjoy EP79 A Big City Adventure where Redge visits Once Upon a Time’s city of Litropia and first hears about the Rat King: https://jonincharacter.com/big-city-adventure/

CREDITS: This episode is a Jonincharacter production. It was written and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Special shout out to Owen Sullivan for voicing Ronnie the Rat. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Pacific Grove Soundworks.

Support the show

REACH OUT!

• Send us a TEXT: if your young listener has a question. Pls include their first name in the text. Your name/number is hidden so it's a safe way to reach out.
• Send us an email: dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com
• DM us on IG @dorktalesstorytime
• Library of Resources: https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/Dorktales-Library-Card
• One time donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dorktales
• Our Pod's Songs on Bandcamp: https://dorktalesstorytime.bandcamp.com/music

Now, go be the hero of your own story and we’ll see you next once-upon-a-time!

Send us a text

Cast off on another T.A.L.E. (Thrilling and Astounding Lore Expedition) Tour and take an unexpected turn, straight through a waterfall and into the Quotatious Period! It’s a dino-tastic world of plesiosaurs, pterosaurs, and prehistoric parties. But one young Maiasaura isn’t in the mood to celebrate. He’s being teased because no one believes his theory about the power of the moon’s pull. But when his auntie’s nest suddenly disappears, his scientific curiosity and careful lunar observations just might be the key to saving the day.

Go to the episode webpage: https://jonincharacter.com/maiasaura-and-the-moon/

DOWNLOAD COLOR PAGE: https://bit.ly/dorktalesEP122activity

GRAB YOUR FREE PDF list of conversation questions for this episode:
https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/ep122freePDF

PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: In “Maiasaura and the Moon,” young listeners join Jonathan and Redge on a prehistoric adventure where curiosity and science key themes. Through Minh, a thoughtful young dinosaur who studies the moon and tides, kids see how observation, persistence, and self-confidence can lead to problem-solving and understanding. The story encourages scientific thinking, celebrates the value of staying true to one’s ideas, and models empathy and cooperation when helping others.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY about a special place on the T.A.L.E. Tour, you may also enjoy the time when the tour took Jonathan and Redge to the Cliffhanger mountains in EP108 The Color Pillars: https://jonincharacter.com/the-color-pillars/

CREDITS: This episode is a Jonincharacter production. It was written by Monique Hafen Adams, edited and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Pacific Grove Soundworks.

Support the show

REACH OUT!

• Send us a TEXT: if your young listener has a question. Pls include their first name in the text. Your name/number is hidden so it's a safe way to reach out.
• Send us an email: dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com
• DM us on IG @dorktalesstorytime
• Library of Resources: https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/Dorktales-Library-Card
• One time donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dorktales
• Our Pod's Songs on Bandcamp: https://dorktalesstorytime.bandcamp.com/music

Now, go be the hero of your own story and we’ll see you next once-upon-a-time!

Send us a text

Oh helloooo, boils and ghouls! It is I… Jonathan Cormur, the SCARE-rator! If you've been following our Kooky Spooky Countdown, it has all been leading up to this: Elise Parisian, the host of Unspookable, sits down with Adam Gidwitz, the creator and host of Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest and New York Times best-selling author, to talk about scary stories themselves. Why do we tell them? What purpose do they serve? And what has Adam learned in all his years of studying and retelling Grimms’ Fairy Tales?

So gather close, our little creatures of the night. It's a conversation you don't want to miss!

The Kooky Spooky Countdown

Three award-winning, family-favorite children’s podcasts - Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest (Pinna), Unspookable (Soundsington Media), and Dorktales Storytime - have teamed up this October for the Kooky Spooky Countdown, a seasonal, screen-free listening event for families and classrooms everywhere. Participants are challenged to listen to 13 “spooky-ish” podcast episodes to earn rewards, including exclusive congratulatory videos from all three podcast hosts.

The challenge celebrates October’s festivities with safe thrills, playful storytelling, and engaging experiences. It launched on October 2nd and runs until October 31, 2025. You can download the challenge materials at https://jonincharacter.com/kooky-spooky-countdown/

About the Podcasts

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest (Pinna)

It's Grimm fairy tales like you've never heard before! On every episode of Pinna Original Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest, bestselling author Adam Gidwitz retells a classic fairy tale to a group of inquisitive kids, who anticipate plot twists, crack jokes, and share their own perspectives on these very Grimm stories.

Unspookable (Soundsington Media)

Unspookable is a family-friendly podcast that explores the history, brain science, and real-world influences behind spooky stories, myths, and urban legends. Host Elise Parisian takes the scare out of spooky stories by digging into the real history behind them, the cool facts, and why people keep telling them.

Dorktales Storytime

Be the hero of your own story with Dorktales Storytime, a podcast for kids and their pop culture loving grownups. Hosts Jonathan Cormur and Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog share reimagined fairytales and fables with SEL themes, stories of hidden heroes, and wildly imaginative folklore.

Support the show

REACH OUT!

• Send us a TEXT: if your young listener has a question. Pls include their first name in the text. Your name/number is hidden so it's a safe way to reach out.
• Send us an email: dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com
• DM us on IG @dorktalesstorytime
• Library of Resources: https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/Dorktales-Library-Card
• One time donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dorktales
• Our Pod's Songs on Bandcamp: https://dorktalesstorytime.bandcamp.com/music

Now, go be the hero of your own story and we’ll see you next once-upon-a-time!