The environmental and political woes of the world are microscopically enacted within a single tree. Peter Berkrot’s narration clearly distinguishes a vast array of creatures—the grass people, woodcutters, brutal hunters, imprisoned scientists, and more. He excels at villains—both comic and malevolent, such as the major who is “as light as a grain of pollen but the weight of his stupidity should have snapped the branch he was sitting on.” Toby Lolness, the hero from TOBY ALONE, has a lot on his shoulders; he must rescue his imprisoned parents and his beloved Elisha AND save the grass people from the vindictive Leo Blue and the tree from Joe Mitch’s profit-mongering crater digging. In this sequel details of characters and plot are slowly revealed, requiring careful listening.
Ages 10+Pub Date: 2010
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781441888808
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
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:
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:
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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