Narrator Lizan Mitchell brings a graceful rhythm and lyrical lilt to this story poem about an African father, Dinga, a blacksmith, and his beloved son, Musafa. When Musafa is taken by slave traders, each of the Mother Elements who have helped to raise Musafa--Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind--attempts to locate him and offer some solace for Dinga's misery. Mitchell's voice is complex--rich yet gentle. She sounds playful and animated as young Musafa and the Mother Elements share time together. In the poignant moments, she varies her pacing and inflection, especially when the Mother Elements tell what they saw when they searched for their "beloved son." Mitchell's trailing-off phrases and long silences underscore the theme of the love and loss that families endure.
(Picture book/poetry. 7-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2012
Duration: 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470334802
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Live Oak Media recently caught our attention with this new read-along book and cassette program. We listened first, and were so delighted we couldn't wait to get the book. The picture book made the experience even better, but the audio recordings was strong and vibrant by itself. THE GARDENER, Sarah Stewart's Depression-era story of a young girl sent to live with her Uncle Jim in the city has a sweet, wistful quality with narration alone, but coupled with David Small's soft-edged pencil illustration, it's a total delight. The reading is repeated on both sides of the tape, one with and without page-turning signals.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Live Oak Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Powerful and affirming.
Narrator Erin Tripp’s melodious voice cradles listeners of this celebration of the unbreakable ties between Indigenous families and the land they walk on. In turn, the audiobook’s young protagonist reflects on wisdom learned from grandparents, parents, little sister, and community. Nature-based metaphors and similes reinforce the reciprocal relationship between the child and the land. “You are the land,” the child learns. “You are the sea...mountains…sky.” Tripp, whose heritage is Lingít, invests each iteration of “You are” with a gentle firmness that underscores the web of connections among child, family, community, and land. Littlebird’s tribes are Atfalati Kalapuya and Clatsop Chinook, and listeners who seek out the print edition will enjoy illustrations that present the lush glory of her people’s Oregon homelands.
Powerful and affirming. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280407
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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