Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson shares the rhyming and rhythmic fun of family and friends who are filling Grandma's house to the gills. As relatives and guests arrive bearing turkeys and biscuits, lemonade and cheesecakes, sweet potato pie and cantaloupe in ever increasing numbers, it's clear that a solution for the gathering is desperately needed. Who will craft a plan? Johnson narrates in tempo with the background music and uses pauses and emphasis to encourage young listeners to rhyme along with the "cool uncles all in a line" who bring "jugs of lemonade icy and fine," for example. Additionally, Johnson underscores numerical order. With the book in hand, listeners will have much to locate and count in the illustrations.
(Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 6 mins
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author Drew Daywalt serves as primary narrator of this first book in a new Crayon series. Daywalt describes Duncan's surprise when he learns his errant crayons have left again. They all send back letters that recount their adventures and discoveries, and the new friends they've met. A large cast, including narration luminaries like Michael Crouch and Tara Sands, portray the 10 crayons. Music, sound effects, and the accents and attitudes of many different voices individualize the crayons, starting with Red, who extinguishes fires and makes the acquaintance of his toy fire truck, and ending with Brown, who falls in love with a stick. At the end, Daywalt gathers all the crayons together, and against a loud party background, the crayons speak up with final words.
(Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217169573
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This love letter to Hawaiian culture, performed by Barrie Kealoha, follows a girl raised with hula and ancestral pride. The reprises of "what hula taught her" add structure to an otherwise thin plot. Kealoha fluidly delivers the vocabulary of her culture that are peppered throughout the English rhymes. Her soothing voice adds a lullaby quality that is perfect for young children. Slight pauses alert the listener when she reaches the end of each page, making this production a perfect companion for the listener who has the book in hand. Experiencing this audiobook without looking at the vibrant pictures would yield only half the experience for the audience.
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2025
Duration: 8 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666688696
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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