[Editor's note: The following is a combined review with THE BLUE JACKAL & THE FOOLISH LION, TWO GREEDY BEARS, and WILEY AND THE HAIRY MAN.] -- One of the joys of folktales is that the heroes and heroines come in all shapes and sizes. Those who live by their wits are a remarkable group of characters. This collection of folktales includes memorable examples. In Two Greedy Bears, Mirra Ginsburg retells the Hungarian tale of two affable bear cubs who exist in a state of one-upmanship and who are ultimately tricked out of their cheese by the sly and crafty fox. Their voices are childlike and boastful, and the listener can just picture the cubs posturing and pouting as they try to outdo each other. Their answers in unison to the fox are spectacular, but the fox is triumphant in his final bite. The Karadi tales offer two resourceful animals from Indian folklore. First a young hare, questioning, eager, and crafty, outsmarts the pompous lion who feeds on all the animals of the jungle. Then, a jackal falls in with a pot of blue dye and comes out the wiser, eventually. That a mother and son combination outwit the strange and scary creature of the Southern swamps is the triumph of Wiley and the Hairy Man. Wiley's mother is confident and cunning as she helps her son devise three ways to trick the Hairy Man, and this confidence echoes in Wiley's voice as he faces his nemesis. And the voice of the Hairy Man is just scary enough! There's no doubt that the hero is of exceptional size and capability in John Henry. Denzel Washington is friendly, conversational, and colloquial as he shares this tall tale. Who but John Henry could "bust out of his baby shoes" or drive steel "like it was going out of style"? Since John Henry "couldn't hammer without singing," Washington does, too! Listening to each of these folktales brings great pleasure and the suggestion to use wit and wisdom in our own lives. While listening, be sure to savor the exceptional artwork of Molly Bang in Wiley and the Hairy Man and B.B. King's musical accompaniment to John Henry.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 30 mins
Publisher: Rabbit Ears/ Simon & Schuster Children's
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The author describes her efforts to implement a meaningful sustainability initiative for Wales and the world at large. An educator and minister of the environment, sustainability, and housing in her tiny country, she's a wonderful narrator who sounds at once relaxed and passionate, likable and dignified. Her voice is a perfect vehicle for amplifying her humanitarian intentions as well as the breadth of her methodical thinking. But what makes this audio so inspiring are the personal asides she shares throughout concerning her willingness to be vulnerable and her calm resolve to do something for the world's future generations. Davidson's descriptions of the laborious process of cultural transformation would have been dry listening without her pleasing UK speaking voice.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Lisa Flanagan has a wonderful vocal personality--lithe with a broad palette of pitch patterns and a range of believable emotional tones. Her friendly voice works well with this lighthearted overview of how dramatically the Internet has changed the world in the past 30 years. Though being digitally connected has improved life in many ways, the author says we've lost many of the interpersonal experiences that used to sustain us. We have less privacy, don't need all those reference books, and have largely forgotten how to have vocal conversations with other people. The audiobook is entertaining nostalgia for anyone who feels incompetent navigating the World Wide Web, and a soothing reminder that those of us who miss the simplicity of the pre-Internet era are not alone.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593418055
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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