Amid sounds of crashing waves, seagulls, and otherworldly music, we meet Roz, a robot who floats ashore in working condition after her cargo ship sinks. "Hello. My name is Roz," she announces to each creature she meets. Narrator Kate Atwater maintains Roz's robotic voice throughout the book, but as Roz slowly earns membership in the island's animal community and "learns" their values, her machinelike voice gains warmth and friendliness. Atwater also provides fitting and distinctive character voices for each of the island’s delightfully named inhabitants, who include ChitChat the squirrel, TrunkTap the woodpecker, and BrightBill—Roz’s unlikely son. Even though the book has no humans, the listener will, nevertheless, ponder the nature of humans, the implications of artificial intelligence, and the meaning of being wild.
(Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478909002
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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