Narrator Channie Waites is quick to establish the rhythms and emotions of this tribute to Ezra Jack Keats, author and illustrator of the children's classic THE SNOWY DAY. The book featured an African-American boy named Peter and introduced readers to multiculturalism in children's literature in 1962. Keats's Jewish parents fled Poland before his birth to escape prejudice, but in America they faced poverty and "the dark heel of Discrimination." There are harsh truths about struggle in this book, and Waites delivers them vividly. As if in balance, there are also poignant descriptions wrapped in imaginative lyricism. For example, Pinkney says snow is "nature's we-all blanket . . . Snow doesn't pick a wealthy man's doorstep over a poor lady's stoop." As narrator, Waites has equal sensitivity to the story's poetic moments. The afterword has more information about Keats's contribution to children's literature.
(Picture book/poetry/biography. 6-10)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 34 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501959097
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry.
Woodson originally narrated her memoir in 2014, and this updated production features a lively chorus of voices, a new bonus chapter, and testimonies about the legacy of Brown Girl Dreaming. The audiobook opens with spare guitar music, and Woodson narrates her new, emotion-filled introduction. The chorus—Denée Benton, Marley Dias, Dominique Fishback, Big Freedia, Montego Glover, Nicole Ari Parker, Tika Sumpter, and Lena Waithe—then jumps in, each contributor delivering one poem and passing the mic to another voice for the next. The variety of voices adds a little spice, as their narration styles are very different from one another. Snappy musical interludes by Toshi Reagon feature before each section.
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217175611
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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