Jerry Pinkney's illustrations for NOAH'S ARK merited a 2003 Caldecott Honor Medal. The richness and detail of his watercolor artwork infuse the timeless story with life and meaning. From the time of destruction to the spreading of the rainbow, Pinkney retells Noah's story of ark and flood, animal and family. Dennis Haysbert narrates the story with due pomp and ceremony. His voice is deep and full of wonder. He accentuates the repetitions in the text, which portend the coming events. An echo technique, sound effects, and an orchestral accompaniment add to the recording. With the book in hand, the listener will enjoy a theater-like experience. A.R. 2004 ALA Notable Recording © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
(Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 10 mins
Publisher: Weston Woods Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
With deliberate pacing and a clear-toned Castilian accent, narrator Carlotta Brentan transports listeners to fifteenth-century Spain during the Inquisition. Seven-year-old Paloma is the granddaughter of a powerful Jewish leader. But even for wealthy Jews, life is as precarious as a "ceiling made of eggshells." As she gets older, Loma longs to get married and have her own family even as she watches her community suffer persecution, mob violence, exile, imprisonment, and forced conversion to Christianity. The audiobook shines a light on Loma's day-to-day life as Brentan voices her multigenerational family, including her stern, harsh mother; her hypocritical older brother; her meek, dutiful sister-in-law; and her wizened grandfather. Loma's own voice reflects the youthful hope and heartrending injustice of her time.
(Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063007215
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Michelle Weisborn vividly portrays Evie Steinberg. Weisborn's youthful tone reflects Evie's delight when she moves to Southern California and discovers that Dara, her BFF from summer camp, goes to her new school. Weisborn also captures the anxious yet determined feelings of the seventh grader who demands perfection from herself after messing up her father's cryptozoology work. Soon, Evie is shocked to learn that Dara has told her schoolmates that Evie is weird and a liar. Evie sets out to expel the cruel golem who surely must have taken over Dara and works to regain her father's trust. Weisborn evenly handles themes that range from bullying and expectations--one's own and those of others--to self-acceptance.
(Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781547613083
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
