Let's face it: You can't always find the time to read to your kids. So why not let Meryl Streep do it? Or Jeremy Irons? More and more children's titles are getting the audiobook treatment, providing perfectly edifying ways to pass time on car or plane trips (or even just while you clean out the basement). You can purchase this literary ear candy in the form of CD box sets or via download (many are available on iTunes, and nearly all can be found at Audible.com, a subscription service that allows one or two audiobook downloads per month with payment of a membership fee). Here, listed by age group, are 15 examples of excellence of execution in the audiobook medium.
AGES 3 TO 5
- Brown Bear & Friends
- BY BILL MARTIN, JR.
AND ERIC CARLE
READ BY GWYNETH PALTROW
(MACMILLAN AUDIO, $15)
The Story
You get all four volumes of the classic Martin-Carle bear series: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? The title of each pretty much tells you the plot, too.
The Narration
Paltrow, employing different voices for the various animals, takes ample time with each line—a laudable choice, when rushing through the rhyming, singsong text would be so tempting. The CD also contains Spanish-language readings of each book by Adriana Sananes.
Read Along or Listen Alone?
Have the books handy if you own them—Carle's instantly recognizable artwork is such an integral part of the overall feel.
- Farmer Duck
- by Martin Waddell
read by Lorelei King (Candlewick Storybook Animations, $15)
The Story
A mean old farmer forces his poor, downtrodden fowl to toil tirelessly on his farm while he lazes about. Until the other animals start a rebellion to free their friend Duck, that is.
The Narration
King does a remarkable job adding depth and feeling to Duck's dialogue—which is nothing but quacks, by the way.
Read Along or Listen Alone?
The book comes packaged along with the disc, so dive right in. The illustrations are necessary to get the full impact of Duck's physical hardships.
- Yertle the Turtle
- by Dr. Seuss
read by John Lithgow (Listening Library, $3, download only)
The Story
The good doctor's quintessential hubris fable, in which a power-mad turtle declares himself king of all he can see, then literally builds a tower out of his subjects in order to get a bird's-eye view and thereby expand his kingdom.
The Narration
Lithgow takes it over the top, performing Yertle with bombastic megalomaniacal glee. And it's perfect.
Read Along or Listen Alone?
Seuss's illustrations are, of course, wonderfully whimsical, but in the case of this Lithgow recording, you don't really need them to enjoy the tale.
- Tikki Tikki Tembo
- BY ARLENE MOSEL
READ BY MARCIA GAY HARDEN
(MACMILLAN AUDIO, $10)
The Story
It's the classic fable that explains why Chinese names are so short, in which a young boy has trouble fetching help for his brother—who has fallen in a well—because of the elder sibling's ridiculously long name.
The Narration
The Oscar-winner's reading voice is absolutely lovely. She has such fun with the story—and with the repeated pronunciation of "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo"—that you'll have no problem listening again and again.
Read Along or Listen Alone?
This new audio version comes packaged with a copy of the book, but the lively narration eliminates any real need for it.
- The Scrambled States of America
- BY LAURIE KELLER
READ BY LORELEI KING AND OLIVER WYMAN
(MACMILLAN AUDIO, $10)
The Story
In order to experience more of the country, bored states decided to switch places. Of course, Florida finds it hates the cold, Arizona is not a beach lover, and so on.
The Narration
This book is peppered with little asides that add color and spice to the main narration, and the two talented actors chime in with multiple voices each, doing a great job of bringing this complicated tale to life.
Read Along or Listen Alone?
Keeping up with all the chattering voices might be difficult without the adorably chaotic illustrations as a guide. Luckily, the book is part of the package.
Next Page: Ages 5 to 7
