Narrator Ariadne Meyers rises to the challenge of portraying squirrels, both gray and red, and other creatures as she gives voice to Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt's chronicle of a squirrel year. When a winter storm topples the tree, newborn Toaff finds himself launched upon a quest to find a new home. Meyers's Toaff sounds curious and thoughtful as he hesitantly wonders about humans and their "white nest" with all the entrances, about the squirrels who don't always seem as wise as they pretend to be, and about the creature that barks and viciously attacks him. Myers's dogs are conversational; her newborn squirrels are squeaky and surely cuddly. With a gentle, unassuming delivery, Meyers provides listeners time to marvel at Toaff's resolve over his first year.
(Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525624783
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date:
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date:
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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