Spells to Cast on Your Parents, by Pete Holmes

Comedian and actor Pete Holmes conjures up a tale where kids run the show in this hilarious interactive picture book. With a wisecracking dragon heckling from the sidelines, young readers will cast delightfully ridiculous spells that turn grown-ups into giggling, snoring, clucking bundles of chaos.

"Pete has created something really amazing here−a book you can read to your kids and you’re BOTH laughing. I loved it." −Judd Apatow

“This is THE greatest idea for a children's book. It’s a lot of power wielding for someone who still needs help reaching the cereal, but since I’m scheduled to moo at 4PM, it clearly works.” −Tig Notaro

Snakes that slither, frogs that leap,
Make my grown-up FALL ASLEEP!
Sip-sap-soap-SHHHHH!

Featuring a snarky dragon named Jesse—and YOU as the narrator—Pete Holmes's debut children's book celebrates silliness, imagination, and the magic of reading together. Each page invites young readers to cast a spell on their grown-up—causing them to fall asleep mid-sentence, talk in slow motion, make animal noises, or speak total gibberish.

Spells to Cast on Your Parents isn’t just a picture book—it’s a full-blown performance, an instant family event, and a fun twist on the traditional bedtime story. And beneath all the mayhem, it’s a story that celebrates the power and wonder of being a kid. With mounting mischief, interactive call-and-response, and pitch-perfect comedic timing, this is a book children will demand again and again.

• Hardcover
• ISBN: 9798217119035
• 40 pages
• Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers

• Preorder releases September 1, 2026
• All preorders are non-refundable. Learn more.