Anyone who has read Harry Potter knows what a hippogriff is, but what about a hippocamus? In the new audiobook by J.K. Rowling, narrator Eddie Redmayne explains that a hippocamus is a half-horse, half-fish creature not to be messed with. Redmayne gives us descriptions of dozens of creatures, along with warnings when necessary. His delivery is so perfect that I’ll be looking for hinkypunks, nifflers, and doxies when working in the garden. Some of the creatures are pulled directly from mythology, but many come from Rowling's fertile imagination. The writing is crisp, and Redmayne, with his British accent, breezes along, taking the listeners on a wonderful, magical, ride. The audiobook is absolutely nothing like the recent movie of the same name.
(Fantasy script. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
Publisher: Pottermore from J.K. Rowling
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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