From the first minute, it's clear this audiobook is special. Even without words, the lilting guitar music, the irresistible laugh of a baby, and the tinkling of wind chimes set the mood of a young Hispanic family with high hopes. Adriana Sananes narrates this picture book’s simple text with a positive spirit. With sounds of birds and surf in the background, she describes the wonder of exploring a new country. With trepidation turning to delight, she tells of finding the free public library. An uplifting and conversational author's note tells Yuyi Morales's own story of immigrating to the United States. The only thing missing from this enchanting production is the artwork. Listen with the book in hand for the best experience. L.T. 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2018
Duration: 15 mins
Publisher: Dreamscape
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 perfect portrayal.
Nickel reads her imaginative picture-book biography of Hans Christian Andersen in a fairy-tale tone. She weaves the facts of the famous storyteller’s life together with a sense of whimsy, stressing rhythms and repetitions that captivate. It’s as if she embodies the storytelling spirit of the poor shoemaker’s son who possessed a nose “two times as long” and a heart “two times as tender” as everyone else around him. Nickel’s narration and writing are as inventive as Andersen, who, when rejected by theaters, dance studios, and choirs, created cut-paper characters while he told children his tales. The man who saw himself as an ugly duckling is finally admired as “the most beautiful swan of all.”
A perfect portrayal. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898851132
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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