En camino a la boda de su tío Perico, el gallito mandón se ensucia el pico. Ahora necesita limpiarse el pico, pero nadie quiere ayudar a uno tan mandón. Así empieza este cuento tradicional recontado en su versión cubana con gracia por la voz agradable de Lucía González. Esta grabación ofrece a los lectores varias maneras de escuchar el cuento. Se lo puede oír entero con cada página leída en el inglés seguido por el español. O, se puede escuchar solamente en cualquiera de estos dos idiomas. De cualquiera manera, la repetición y la cualidad lírica, o más bien melódica, de la voz de González hacen que esta lectura sea una experiencia en que todos querrán tomar parte. J.A.G.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]--On the way to his Uncle Perico's wedding, the bossy little rooster gets his beak dirty. Now he needs to clean it, but nobody wants to help such a bossy individual. So begins this traditional story in its Cuban version, as charmingly told in a pleasant voice by Lucía González. This audiobook offers its listeners several ways to hear the story. They may listen to it as it appears in the actual book, with each page being read first in English and then in Spanish, or they may listen to the entire story in one language or the other. In any event, the repetition and the lyrical qualities of Gonzalez's voice make this reading an experience everyone will want to enjoy. J.A.G., L.R.P., trans. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2009
Duration: 40 mins
Publisher: Lorito Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Lemony Snicket, who became known for challenging listeners’ vocabularies in his Series of Unfortunate Events, chooses 13 seemingly random words and arranges them into the story of a “despondent” bird and a dog who tries to cheer his friend by visiting a “haberdashery” to buy a hat with “panache.” Michael Emerson’s intonations and phrasing allow listeners to picture characters and settings even without Maira Kalman's illustrations. He encourages listeners to savor the sounds of words as the author intended. Who wouldn’t buy a hat from a breathy sales-baby who describes “panache” as “a kind of verve or swagger”? In an amazing artistic interpretation, Snicket’s final word, “mezzo-soprano,” becomes an opera of the book, created by real-life composer Nico Muhly.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9781443404433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author and narrator Enrique Flores-Galbis is a master of duality in this nuanced story of the Cuban revolution. His writing and narration are superb. In both, his humble style of storytelling is arresting. When revolution comes to Cuba, Julian is just a boy. He doesn’t even know what a revolution is. In leaving Cuba and losing his family, Julian finds new ways in which he’s both vulnerable and strong. Flores-Galbis’s voice embodies the contradictions of Julian’s experience. We hear that vulnerability in a soft, almost hesitant, voice; underneath is a quiet confidence. The pacing ebbs and flows as naturally as the tide between Havana and Miami as Julian figures out what is right and determines to do his part to help.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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