A full cast brings a ton of energy to this audiobook. The recording booth must be an exciting place for narrators who are portraying a medieval troubadour turned into a goose, a bumbling magician, a dastardly younger brother to the king, the king himself, a sorceress, and a band of young knights. Will these enthusiastic newbies to knightdom be able to return the kingdom of Byjovia to order? Kudos to the cast for making a hybrid work (part traditional novel/part graphic novel) into a seamless audio production. Through animation, inflections, and pauses, a coherent storyline made from words, pictures, and thought bubbles comes together. Listeners can't help but chuckle at the overlay of contemporary language abounding in slang and puns and admire the pluck and sensibilities of the characters.
(Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525636021
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Far-north fun for emerging readers.
Narrator Mark Sanderlin guides listeners through this graphic early reader. When Wally Mammoth challenges friend Wolf to a game of hide-and-seek, it quickly becomes apparent that all-white Wolf has a notable advantage in their Arctic landscape. While their auk pal Otto’s voice is easily recognizable, Sanderlin’s vocal characterizations of Wally and Wolf are not so easily parsed, and they dominate the dialogue. This is one case where the audiobook and the print book should be experienced together. Even then, with no text other than speech balloons, this audiobook counts on its listeners to have some facility with letter and word recognition to accurately follow the banter.
Far-north fun for emerging readers. (Graphic early reader. 4-8)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 3 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063478213
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Robb Moreira summons a mythic tone for this original spinoff of the Aztec creation story. In Higuera's story, the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl's lesser-known brother, Xolotl, recounts "what really happened." Xolo has a dog's head, paws, and, most importantly, a love of humankind. Moreira's declamatory tones suit the epic nature of the story but also sometimes flatten the nuances of Higuera's characterizations. Listeners who don't seek out the print edition to accompany the audiobook will miss illustrator Mariana Ruiz Johnson's strikingly stylized figures, colorfully lush design, and critical narrative detail that's often communicated only in the illustrations. Those who do read and listen will occasionally find themselves zooming past wordless sequences that demand close attention. Both otherworldly and sweet--and perhaps best enjoyed in print.
(Mythology. 7-10)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
Duration: 1 hr
DD ISBN: 9798899735035
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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