Hannah Van Der Westhuysen narrates this beautifully crafted biography, which captures the wonder of Jeanne Villepreux-Power's life. Born in 1794 to a dressmaker and a cobbler, Jeanne spent her childhood watching her parents transform scraps into something remarkable. Eventually, she became an acclaimed seamstress herself. However, her deepest passion lay in nature, particularly in the argonaut, a shy and mysterious sea creature now recognized as a type of octopus. Frustrated by its elusive behavior, Jeanne created the first aquarium to study it more closely. This audio also includes a brief explanation of Villepreux-Power's journey to being recognized as the "Mother of Aquariophily" and a timeline of her life. Van Der Westhuysen's precise pacing and emphasis on key moments make the narration both engaging and memorable.
(Picture-book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
Duration: 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217014767
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A perfect portrayal.
Nickel reads her imaginative picture-book biography of Hans Christian Andersen in a fairy-tale tone. She weaves the facts of the famous storyteller’s life together with a sense of whimsy, stressing rhythms and repetitions that captivate. It’s as if she embodies the storytelling spirit of the poor shoemaker’s son who possessed a nose “two times as long” and a heart “two times as tender” as everyone else around him. Nickel’s narration and writing are as inventive as Andersen, who, when rejected by theaters, dance studios, and choirs, created cut-paper characters while he told children his tales. The man who saw himself as an ugly duckling is finally admired as “the most beautiful swan of all.”
A perfect portrayal. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898851132
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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