Cornelia Funke’s passion for children’s fantasy shines in this audiobook filled with wondrous and otherworldly charm. Ruffleclaw, an earth monster, decides to move in with a human family. He befriends the boy, Tommy, first. Funke provides a raspy, endearing voice for Ruffleclaw’s colorful exclamations—just two examples: “totally creepy-crawladocious!” when he listens to jingly music and “mouse poop!” when he’s lectured for drinking all the shampoo. Ruffleclaw’s first encounter with Tommy’s mother is a hoot, with her frantic shrieks and Ruffleclaw’s growling and hissing monster threats. Ruffleclaw’s hilarious play date with monster friends Shaggystink and Wormtooth, who come to visit, will have children laughing out loud.
(Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780553395419
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ladji’s appealing performance gives an extra spark as both girl and horse rise from those mythical ashes.
Emma Ladji brings empathy and authenticity to this tale of a kid whose life blows up when her dad cheats with her best friend’s mom. Harper and her mom move to a new town and into a teeny house next to a barn. Although Harper has no particular interest in horses, that changes when a kill truck dumps a neglected, almost-dead horse in her yard. As Harper finds a new purpose in saving her horse—whom she names Phoenix, of course—she connects with her barn neighbors. Ladji has fun creating voices for the quirky and diverse group—fiery little Emma, Puerto Rican Dante, and Night, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns.
Ladji’s appealing performance gives an extra spark as both girl and horse rise from those mythical ashes. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280902
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
Gosage delivers these scientifically sound oceanic anecdotes with an easy-listening appeal.
Narrator Ellie Gosage speaks to middle-grade listeners as a friend, her tone changing with each ocean-themed topic. Gosage’s conversational narration reflects the book’s plain language. Her tone ranges from amused, as in “Blubber Blunder,” about a town’s attempt to destroy an 8-ton whale carcass with a half-ton of dynamite, to impressed, as in “The (Dog’s) Nose Knows,” about one dog’s unique ability to locate floating whale poop from a half-mile away while on a boat. (The excrement is used to capture DNA information.) In a chapter about a grieving orca, Gosage’s narration is especially soulful.
Gosage delivers these scientifically sound oceanic anecdotes with an easy-listening appeal. (10-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217172764
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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