Narrator Almarie Guerra's warm voice welcomes young listeners to a comforting story of friendships and the sharing of family traditions. On Musa's first day of kindergarten, his kind teacher, Ms. Gupta, promises the class that they will all become friends. Sweet-voiced Musa is worried, but Ms. Gupta provides a fun topic to discuss with his new classmates--what is everyone's favorite day? Throughout the year, the students delight in sharing their favorite days, along with the foods and decorations they love best. Musa proudly explains his family's traditions for Eid al-Fitr, while listeners hear his friends' enthusiasm as they share their love of Rosh Hashanah, Las Posadas, and Pi Day. The children develop treasured friendships as they share an important part of themselves with each other.
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
Duration: 8 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705001516
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A listen that will work best as a companion to the print book.
Cindy Kay narrates this first in a planned series. The story unfolds with the first meeting of the Skeleton and the Cat. The friendly Cat disturbs the Skeleton's solitary, peaceful home life, hoping to make a friend. Kay employs a perky, lighthearted voice for the Cat. He tries jokes, food, and dancing to make friends with the Skeleton, who does not joke, eat, or dance. She is aloof but never sounds unkind or impatient. As opposites often do, they become friends. Kay's narration is quiet, slow, and comforting, but unfortunately, some of the humor is visual and doesn’t translate to the audiobook.
A listen that will work best as a companion to the print book. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
Duration: 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063577213
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for.
Sunny Lu’s soft and youthful voice is perfect for April, a 12-year-old theater geek who happens to need a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. April believes that her audition for the school play went so well that she’s sure to get the lead, so she’s devastated when she is confined to a backstage role because of her disability. Lu adapts her tone to each supporting character—April’s Chinese American parents; her best friend, Ruby, who lives by tarot cards; school bully Graham; and Zahra, whose activist mother wants to see more Muslims on the stage. April’s underhanded strategy to grab back the lead role sows discord until she finds a solution.
Together, author and narrator create a three-dimensional character to root for. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217295906
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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