Lyrical prose is the hallmark of this alliterative nonfiction ode to the earth's tropical, boreal, temperate, and kelp forests. Abigail Reno's narration is as soothing as the gentle music and nature sounds that accompany this top-notch production. In total, there are nine tracks, including the main story, the story with extra details, page-turn versions of each, and notes. The initial track is about 10 minutes, while the second has explanatory notes, for example, a discussion of a famed Japanese bamboo forest (complete with entrancing sound effects) and of Poland's enigmatic Bialowieza Forest, where all of the trees are in uniform "C" shapes. Reno's narration is equally compelling in the explanatory sections. Reno convincingly conveys the author's love and concern for the world's forests.
(Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
Duration: 1 hr
DD ISBN: 9798225060497
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Playful music and Emma Lysy's cheerful narration animate this brief but thoroughly enchanting audiobook for young listeners. The whimsical story unfolds as Little Star can't resist slipping out of bed every night to nibble on the delicious mooncake that her mother baked and hung in the sky to cool. In a story reminiscent of trickster folklore, Little Star's mischievous nibbling slowly diminishes the big, round mooncake in an imaginative allegory of the phases of the waning moon. Lysy's lively delivery enhances the growing sense of anticipation as Little Star wonders whether her mother notices the changes with each passing night. This is a delightful listening experience, and Grace Lin's Caldecott Honor award-winning picture-book illustrations can provide a stunning visual complement.
(Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2020
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549104497
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Shy, unpopular Code is miserable when his grandfather disappears. His life goes from bad to bizarre when, on a school field trip, he trips over a hole and winds up in Mek Mound—once an ancient Okalahoman pyramid, now a land of metallic robots that threaten Earth. David Ackroyd’s narration is solid and precise. He gives a human sound to a myriad of robot personalities—a windy-voiced curmudgeon of an inventor, Code’s chatty robot buddy, and their threatening nemesis, Immortalis. Ackroyd delivers Code’s fears and hopes, as well as moments of humor, as he searches for a way to free his grandfather and vanquish the mechanical villains.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2011
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307915245
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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