Best New Audiobooks for Little Listeners, Selected by AudioFile Magazine for The Children’s Book Review.
This month’s best audiobooks for the littlest listeners among us are full of variety, from a history of Brazilian capoeira to a picture book all about berries! These diverse books provide plenty of audio delights for all kinds of young readers.
André Santana artfully re-creates Brazil in the 1920s as he introduces capoeira, a blend of martial arts, dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality. Santana enthusiastically delivers lyrical descriptions accompanied by spirited background music, with Indigenous and Portuguese words adding atmosphere. Heartbreaking histories recall the lives—and deaths—of enslaved people who brought capoeira from Africa. Audio is crucial for the outstanding glossary, which includes wonderful demonstrations of pronunciations and accounts of each word’s history. Review»
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Berry Song
Story by Michaela Goade
Read by Erin Tripp
Hachette Audio | 14 mins. | Ages 4+ | AudioFile Earphones Award
This ode to the berry-rich land by Tlingit author and Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade finds its ideal narrator in Erin Tripp, who is Lingít Deisheetaan. Tripp’s skill with the Tlingit language is matched by her feeling for the ebb and flow of Goade’s English text. The audiobook opens with a recitation of the many different berries of Sitka, Alaska, in both Lingít and English. The English names of the berries become a quietly prayerful refrain, punctuating the lyrical account and emphasizing both the land’s profound bounty and the characters’ respect for it. Sumptuous. Review »
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Music and sound effects are beautifully paired with January LaVoy’s inviting narration of this adaptation of Coretta Scott King’s autobiography for adults. Hymns and soft lyrical strains play in the background as LaVoy describes King’s church-based, family-strong youth. Her narration becomes agitated when Coretta asks about the prejudice surrounding her. The music and narration are dreamy as LaVoy describes a young adult Coretta’s vision of what life might be. The music and narration are by turns tempestuous, victorious, and humble. Review »
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Dalia Ramahi narrates this companion to Aya Khalil’s picture book THE ARABIC QUILT. Egyptian American Kanzi walks proudly past her quilt as she leads her classmates to the library. But the display of diverse books there is now empty: They’ve been banned. Ramahi captures the dismay of both children and educators, with plaintive music underscoring their shock. The teacher’s explanation of book banning leads Kanzi and her classmates to the notion of a bake sale. The music turns hopeful, then triumphant, as the kids plan and execute their pastry protest. Review »
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Jorjeana Marie’s youthful voice is perfect in her portrayal of quirky 9-year-old Ella, the liveliest resident of a small San Francisco apartment house. Marie captures Ella’s blend of annoying know-it-all qualities and friendly willingness to help her neighbors. While Ella takes center stage, Jorjeana Marie also insightfully depicts the other inhabitants, such as Ella’s two very different mothers, the new young couple who are moving in, and Ella’s theatrical tea partner. Review »
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This list of audiobooks was curated by AudioFile. AudioFile is an independent source of audiobook reviews and recommendations with a clear focus on the performance and listening experience. AudioFile Earphones Awards are given to exceptional audiobooks. To learn more, visit audiofilemagazine.com, Twitter @AudioFileMag, Facebook @audiofilemagazine, and Instagram @AudioFileMagazine.
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