Narrator Rosalyn Landor's purposefully pretentious English accent fits this campy horror story, which is heavy on narrative and listener asides. Anastasia learns of her parents' tragic vacuum cleaner accident from her aunties, Prim and Prude. They whisk her away to their fortress-like home, the former St. Agony's Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Landor creates a matter-of-fact Anastasia, while Prim and Prude's voices are appropriately prim and prudish. When Anastasia seeks explanations for the spooky wailing (provided by sound effects) or the mysterious boy wearing a birdcage, her creepy aunties explain that it's part of the "authentic Victorian experience." Anastasia soon discovers that the said experience is a front for something beastly dreadful. This is the first in a planned series.
(Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101891650
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author Daniel Nayeri voices his story of a grandmother who is guiding her grandchild through the steps of weaving a traditional Persian rug. The eager child tells the story with an eye toward creating the perfect rug, but Grandma encourages her young assistant to recognize that perfection is not the goal. Instead, the rug needs to be right for its purpose. Young listeners unfamiliar with Persian rug designs who read the print edition alongside this audiobook will benefit from seeing its vivid watercolor illustrations. But all listeners will hear what Nayeri's warm tones clearly convey. This sweet family story is told with Nayeri's affection for his culture and its intergenerational traditions.
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
Duration: 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217156924
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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