Vacation is not an experience known to Manny. For a farm boy with 500 cows, vacations don’t happen. But then, one summer, with inspiration from his teacher and help from the lead cow, the buses roll off the farm with every cow on board. Destination: Niagara Falls. At the site, the cows enjoy both looking at the falls and visiting the gift shop (creating an expense unplanned by Manny). Johnny Heller tackles this preposterous tale with aplomb. His animal characters are outstanding. Heller’s delivery is crisp and matter-of-fact even for situations such as cows in the restroom and funny wordplay such as “up to their udders in orders.” Listeners will laugh out loud.
Ages 4-6Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
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