Married authors Zadie Smith and Nick Laird deliver a delightful, hilarious, and heartfelt narration of their debut children's book. Kit opens a birthday surprise, a guinea pig dressed in a judo outfit. Kit has many pets, and they find the oddly dressed surprise off-putting. After several misadventures, the surprise receives a name; thus, she finally feels loved and accepted in her new home. Smith gives each character, animal and human, a distinct voice. She delivers various accents to depict different geographic regions and social classes. Laird is also amusing with his deadpan delivery of the main text, which juxtaposes beautifully with Smith's voices. Smith shines as the voices of all the characters; she could become a professional narrator for children's books. The production's music and sound effects enhance the story to great effect.
(Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 28, 2022
Duration: 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593606698
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Glick's animated delivery is a great match for this unique peek at a common but surprisingly enigmatic creature.
Maxwell Glick narrates this nonfiction book about eels and scientific exploration with audible amusement and enthusiasm. Glick is humorously upbeat as he reveals how little we actually know about the threatened but once-ubiquitous eel. Young listeners will be able to imagine that they are eels and may be surprised to learn that for many years, people believed Aristotle’s theory that eels sprang spontaneously from mud. Author Day shares interesting tidbits, such as the fact that all American and European eels originate from and eventually return to the Sargasso Sea. But perhaps the most humbling fact is that scientists still don't know everything—especially when it comes to eels.
Glick's animated delivery is a great match for this unique peek at a common but surprisingly enigmatic creature. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217352708
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
A thoughtful and surprisingly exciting real-life adventure tale about survival and community.
In June 2023, an unknown person abandoned four pet rabbits in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Heights Park. Over the following weeks, neighbors of all ages came together to track and trap the bunnies. Narrator Amy Jensen seamlessly blends humor with a more serious tone as she guides listeners through the extensive rescue operation as well as the origins of the park, the history of rabbit domestication, and the backgrounds of the folks who spent long, tiring days crawling through ivy and scrub to bring the rabbits to safety. Jensen’s cheerful, child-friendly tones are informative and straightforward, including when she details the highs and lows of animal rescue beyond the immediate thrill of success.
A thoughtful and surprisingly exciting real-life adventure tale about survival and community. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668659199
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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