[Editor's note: The following is a combined review with THE BLUE JACKAL & THE FOOLISH LION, JOHN HENRY, and TWO GREEDY BEARS.] -- One of the joys of folktales is that the heroes and heroines come in all shapes and sizes. Those who live by their wits are a remarkable group of characters. This collection of folktales includes memorable examples. In Two Greedy Bears, Mirra Ginsburg retells the Hungarian tale of two affable bear cubs who exist in a state of one-upmanship and who are ultimately tricked out of their cheese by the sly and crafty fox. Their voices are childlike and boastful, and the listener can just picture the cubs posturing and pouting as they try to outdo each other. Their answers in unison to the fox are spectacular, but the fox is triumphant in his final bite. The Karadi tales offer two resourceful animals from Indian folklore. First a young hare, questioning, eager, and crafty, outsmarts the pompous lion who feeds on all the animals of the jungle. Then, a jackal falls in with a pot of blue dye and comes out the wiser, eventually. That a mother and son combination outwit the strange and scary creature of the Southern swamps is the triumph of Wiley and the Hairy Man. Wiley's mother is confident and cunning as she helps her son devise three ways to trick the Hairy Man, and this confidence echoes in Wiley's voice as he faces his nemesis. And the voice of the Hairy Man is just scary enough! There's no doubt that the hero is of exceptional size and capability in John Henry. Denzel Washington is friendly, conver-sational, and collo-quial as he shares this tall tale. Who but John Henry could "bust out of his baby shoes" or drive steel "like it was going out of style"? Since John Henry "couldn't hammer without singing," Washington does, too! Listening to each of these folktales brings great pleasure and the suggestion to use wit and wisdom in our own lives. While listening, be sure to savor the exceptional artwork of Molly Bang in Wiley and the Hairy Man and B.B. King's musical accompaniment to John Henry.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
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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