Alan Cumming's delivery of this tale set in rural England brings a smile to the listener's face from the very beginning. Young Kenny, book loving and curious, has a newly discovered best friend and kindred spirit, a poetry-reading dragon named Grahame. Cumming gives the beast a magnificent deep bass voice reminiscent of Sir John Gielgud at his most formal. Unfortunately, Kenny's other best friend is George, bookstore owner and slayer of dragons. Unless a solution can be found, a terrible battle will take place in Kenny's meadow with a wide variety of villagers in full voice against the peaceful dragon. While recognizing DiTerlizzi's allusions to classic stories adds to the fun, it's not necessary for appreciating this tale, with its clever and satisfying ending.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2008
Duration: 2 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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
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