Listen Up to Audiobooks April 2007
By Lisa Von Drasek

For Lisa Von Drasek's latest article Animal Poetry click here

Little Golden Treasury: The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey, read by Susan Gregory, Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Cramton, read by Skip Hinnant, Tawny Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson, read by Skip Hinnant The Saggy Baggy Elephant by K. and B. Jackson, read by Susan Gregory (Imagination Studio, 2006, ISBN: 0-739-33731-9, 1 CD, 35 minutes, 25 seconds, $11.95)

Parents and grandparents will love sharing this collection of four classic stories first published in the 1940s by Golden Books. The poky little puppy and his four siblings disobey their mother and dig a hole under the fence to explore the wide world: "Through the meadow they went, down the road, over the bridge, across the green grass and up the hill, two and two. And when they got to the top of the hill, they counted themselves, one, two, three, four. One little puppy wasn't there." Now, where in the world was the poky little puppy? The enchanting language that provides vivid images of fat little rabbits who teach the scrawny, tawny lion not to eat them is accompanied by amusing sound effects.

Curious George Complete Adventures Deluxe Book and CD Gift Set by H.A. and Margret Rey (Houghton Mifflin, 2006, ISBN: 0-618-75042-8, 5 CDs, 3+ hours, $35.00).

These seven stories, complete with the original art, begin with The Man in the Yellow Hat adopting the mischievous chimpanzee, George. Parents may choose to hear a page-turning signal or not. The page-turn signals give time enough to dwell on the page, yet prompt a child to continue. Intermittent sound effects like the din of the jungle and the background music are present but not intrusive or distracting. The oversized pages are perfectly laid out with large type, ideal for emerging readers. Historical context may be a concern for some – conservationists may have a concern about a little primate being torn from his native environment, and there may be some explaining to do when George "after a good meal and a good pipe...felt tired."

The House That Jack Built, traditional rhyme illustrated by Diana Mayo, read by Ellen Verenieks (Barefoot Books, 2007, ISBN: 1-846-86076-8, 4-1/2 minutes, $9.99)

"This is the dog
That worried the cat,
That chased the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built."

This set includes a paperback book and audio CD. The audio retelling of a traditional cumulative rhyme is perfectly paced. The repetitious lines are flawlessly paired with humorous acrylic paintings. The colors are vibrant and children will empathize with the plight of the various farm animals as they bark, meow and crow through their paces. The CD contains two versions, one with page-turn signals and the other without.

For Lisa Von Drasek's latest article Animal Poetry click here

Lisa Von Drasek is Children's Librarian at the Bank Street College of Education in New York, NY.

April, 2007, Vol.37, No.7