Narrator Ramon de Ocampo fills this story with cartoonish voices and an astounding array of fart noises that are sure to thrill middle-grade fans of crude humor. Oddonis, Adonis's plain twin brother, is optimistic on his first day at Olympus Middle School, but the schoolyard cruelty of his god classmates squashes his hopes. With a band of misfit friends, he challenges his brother for the office of class president. De Ocampo finds earnest emotional beats to make the characters lovable, even the revolting Gaseous and Germes. While de Ocampo does his best to guide the listener through tricky audio adaptation elements, such as the audibly similar twins' names, there are holes in the narrative that clearly rely on illustrations. However, young listeners will likely be laughing too hard to notice.
(Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-11)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062912213
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Lemony Snicket, who became known for challenging listeners’ vocabularies in his Series of Unfortunate Events, chooses 13 seemingly random words and arranges them into the story of a “despondent” bird and a dog who tries to cheer his friend by visiting a “haberdashery” to buy a hat with “panache.” Michael Emerson’s intonations and phrasing allow listeners to picture characters and settings even without Maira Kalman's illustrations. He encourages listeners to savor the sounds of words as the author intended. Who wouldn’t buy a hat from a breathy sales-baby who describes “panache” as “a kind of verve or swagger”? In an amazing artistic interpretation, Snicket’s final word, “mezzo-soprano,” becomes an opera of the book, created by real-life composer Nico Muhly.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9781443404433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author and narrator Enrique Flores-Galbis is a master of duality in this nuanced story of the Cuban revolution. His writing and narration are superb. In both, his humble style of storytelling is arresting. When revolution comes to Cuba, Julian is just a boy. He doesn’t even know what a revolution is. In leaving Cuba and losing his family, Julian finds new ways in which he’s both vulnerable and strong. Flores-Galbis’s voice embodies the contradictions of Julian’s experience. We hear that vulnerability in a soft, almost hesitant, voice; underneath is a quiet confidence. The pacing ebbs and flows as naturally as the tide between Havana and Miami as Julian figures out what is right and determines to do his part to help.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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