Myra Lucretia Taylor's soothing voice evokes the timelessness and expansiveness of the ocean as she brings Coombs's poems of tide pools and sand, jellyfish and sharks to life. Her pacing is purposeful. By never rushing and even stretching out the syllables of the reflective poems on water, sand, and tide, Taylor mimics the back and forth of an ocean swell. When a poem is more playful--such as the one about a beachfront property sale by a local crab salesman--Taylor perks up her voice and takes on a hawking persona. With the return to shore of a weathered piece of driftwood telling stories of his travels, Taylor narrates with the bravado of an old salt spinning dockside yarns. Where the print book is available, listeners will delight in listening while poring over the watercolor illustrations by Meilo So.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 10 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470362041
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrators John Lithgow and Kate Mulgrew alternately share poems and songs created by Fred Rogers for his long-standing television show. Rogers's messages affirm children and give voice to the myriad feelings, good and bad, that all people feel from time to time. Wonder, joy, questions, exploration, outsides and insides, a new baby, one-of-a-kindness, needs emotional and material are examples of the breadth of Rogers's words. Lithgow's voice has its own richness, reminiscent of Rogers's own. His tone is firm and straightforward. When his voice expresses the anger of a poem, for example, he soon becomes calm as the anger fades. Kate Mulgrew is equally genuine and sets a pace for children's consideration of each message.
(Poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781683691808
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Updike’s 12 poems celebrate the changing seasons with images that might catch a child’s eye. His verses, some of which are very lovely, focus on changes in the natural world (from snow to mud to crocuses) and on celebrations that accompany these changes (Christmas, Valentine's, Fourth of July). Each verse ends with a sound image that connects to the month’s poem (such as the sound of fireworks or baseball heard on TV). Updike’s presentation is earnest. While he sometimes overemphasizes line breaks in his poems, he has a kind voice and reads carefully, allowing time for children to enjoy the lovely gem-like illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 13 mins
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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