Starry Messenger offers a brief depiction of the life of Galileo Galilei. The text considers Galileo's important scientific and mathematical discoveries, his celebrity and his downfall at the hands of the Church because of his theory that the earth is not the center of the universe. The unusual format of this picture-book biography doesn't make its transition to audiobook easy, but Barbara Caruso and John McDonough carry it off in style. Caruso reads the text and McDonough the sidebars, which include brief quotations from Galileo. Their narration is exceptional; their voices are rich and expressive, and their pacing thoughtful and even. All that's missing are Peter Sis's stunning illustrations. Get a copy of this 1997 Caldecott Honor Book so that you can enjoy Sis's richly detailed, beautifully designed book as you listen to this fine audiobook.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1997
Duration: 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.
Bookended by a bluesy guitar riff, John Elbe’s resonant narration takes young listeners to rural, Jim Crow-era Mississippi to tell the story of the great B.B. King. In the sounds of a preacher's guitar and a blues-loving aunt's Victrola, little Riley B. King found music early: a $15 guitar he purchased at age 12 with money earned from picking cotton set him on his way. Elbe mimics the twangs of Riley’s guitar as the boy begins to master the instrument, his voice gathering power as the now-grown King’s career takes off. Duncan’s account smoothly backgrounds her subject’s climb to success with the realities of poverty and segregation. An accompanying PDF of the print edition’s backmatter provides a timeline and further resources.
A joyous, respectful introduction to the King of the Blues.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063459649
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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