Isabel's grandfather has the water gift--with a Y-shaped stick, he can tell those who need wells dug where the water lies under their land. Isabel and her friend Pig keep grandfather company on his dowsing jobs until they encounter a run of bad luck--her grandfather appears to lose his gift, and Isabel loses her pig. Jenny Ikeda narrates this production, and her engaging, youthful voice is a good fit since young Isabel narrates the story. Ikeda not only brings alive the voices of the different characters (including Isabel's grandparents and her mean neighbor), she also makes the most of the interesting language of the story, which is dense and reads almost like a prose poem. Listeners will enjoy this story about the power of determination and believing in things you can't always explain.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: 2004
Duration: 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Robb Moreira summons a mythic tone for this original spinoff of the Aztec creation story. In Higuera's story, the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl's lesser-known brother, Xolotl, recounts "what really happened." Xolo has a dog's head, paws, and, most importantly, a love of humankind. Moreira's declamatory tones suit the epic nature of the story but also sometimes flatten the nuances of Higuera's characterizations. Listeners who don't seek out the print edition to accompany the audiobook will miss illustrator Mariana Ruiz Johnson's strikingly stylized figures, colorfully lush design, and critical narrative detail that's often communicated only in the illustrations. Those who do read and listen will occasionally find themselves zooming past wordless sequences that demand close attention. Both otherworldly and sweet--and perhaps best enjoyed in print.
(Mythology. 7-10)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 1 hr
DD ISBN: 9798899735035
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tara Novie's youthful voice reflects a sense of wonder for the topic of this audiobook: whales. While her bright delivery contrasts with the somberness of those majestic animals that were pushed out of former habitats by human expansion, she does convey a sense of hope as the Hudson River flows clear again and the whales return. In the second part of the audiobook, Novie's tone becomes more grounded as she details historical and environmental insights relating to the Hudson Highlands River's troubled past and activism that led to the 1972 Clean Water Act. Novie conveys the urgency of this environmental issue and humanity's role in shaping an optimistic future.
(Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 22 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250386755
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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