Fermentation expert Sandor Katz’s hearty voice punctuates Lori Prince’s overall narration of this picture book. It’s a biography of Katz, who moved to a “community of queer folk” in Tennessee in search of a healthy life after his HIV diagnosis. He has become famous for his recipes for fermented foods. The titular “tiny wild”—the microbes that make the culinary magic—swirl as multicolored dots through Julie Wilson’s humorous illustrations. Prince clearly relishes the text’s occasional alliteration and onomatopoeia just as much as Katz’s friends savor his “kraut-chi.” The story and a concluding note written and narrated by Katz are presented twice, with and without page-turn signals. Further information, including notes read by each co-author, concludes the book and recording. The whole package fizzes with briny verve.
(Picture-book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: July 15, 2023
Duration: 10 mins
DD ISBN: 9781430145134
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Xe Sands's strong narration reflects the promise in the title of this children's audio on the topic of a parent's serious illness. Her variations on the refrain "love stays strong" serve as a continual affirmation throughout, and her tender tone sounds like she's addressing an adored child. Sands's lyrical cadences emphasize changes in the natural world and how the seasons' turns relate to the changes illness brings. She compares the miracle of how "a few drops of honey can fuel a bee's flight around the world" to the power provided by a child's love. The tone, tempo, and images of this audiobook make for a reassuring listen. The afterword shows the author's range of expertise as she gently offers advice on how adults can comfort children and aid their understanding of a loved one's illness.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
Duration: 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217081561
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Joey Florez juggles the many facets of this audiobook. Depicting seventh grader Alex Ramirez, a neurodivergent student, Florez honors both the character and the verse format of the story. He gives his narration a definitive rhythm. Periodically, Ramirez uses fluid Spanish that reflects Alex's heritage and adds another rhythm to the narration. Alex has been in an SC (self-contained) classroom since a third-grade conflict landed a former friend in the hospital. Florez's narration reveals Alex's intelligence and curiosity, frustration with the limitations on his learning and with bullying, passion for space, and determination to escape his narrow bounds and enter a mainstream science class, his first step in attaining his dreams.
(Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 2 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217071289
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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