Audiobooks for Ages 4-6

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... Read More

Narrator L.J. Ganser has as much fun with his narration as Frankie the eighteen-wheeler has when he takes listeners on an action-packed trip. From the opening invitation to "Come along!" to the over-the-top "URRRRNNNT-URRNNT! of the truck's horn, Ganser is full of the sounds and excitement of a trip on the open road. Neither rain--"Wipers, do your job!"--nor a flat tire with... Read More

Music and the hip-hop beat of the text come together to create an auditory treat for all ages. This combination joyful ode to graffiti and celebration of art is pure delight. Author Esperanza's pacing of his narration feels like spoken-word poetry. Added to the production are the voices of excited children expressing their joy and wonder at the art that surrounds them. As the... Read More

Jessica Almasy completely inhabits Clementine, a precocious third grader and budding artist. In addition to expressing Clementine’s generally upbeat nature, Almasy’s high tones and bouncy inflections capture the enthusiasm of the dynamic young protagonist as she flutters from one principle-inspired undertaking to the next. Diverse voices include chatter from Clementine’s... Read More

Actress Phylicia Rashad beautifully proves the power of the word and the voice in this short biography of Coretta Scott King. Rashad’s clear, smooth voice delivers Shange's text with little embellishment. To praise the minimalism might mislead, as the spareness of text and expression emphasizes the power and poetry of this listening experience. The program shows a mastery of... Read More

What a treat to have the venerable Tom Chapin narrate this Okefenokee remake of the familiar “Over in the Meadow”! Meet snoozing marsh rabbits, soaring herons, trilling flame birds, and basking alligators, to mention just a few of the marsh’s inhabitants. Chapin is understated and unhurried in his narration. For dramatic effect, he elongates phrases—“Deeeeep in the swamp”—or... Read More

Narrator Adjoa Andoh's rich, clear voice resonates with emotion in this inspirational audio biography for young listeners. Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is a world-renowned advocate for disability rights and a national hero in Ghana. Born without a right tibia (shin bone), Emmanuel grew up with physical limitations, superstitious fears, and societal injustices that severely restricted... Read More

Listeners are treated to Marilyn Singer’s second collection of folktale-based reverso poems, her own poetic creations whose lines produce whole new meanings when read from top to bottom or from bottom to top. As narrator, Singer is tuned in to sharing the nuances that changes in punctuation, word order, and emphasis bring to the same poetic lines. In “Will the Real Princess,”... Read More

Amy Krouse Rosenthal and the young narrators who accompany her give listeners young and old a memorable shape-inspired look at the essence of friendship. The story follows a pattern. Rosenthal cheerily and clearly speaks a line of text; for example: “Friends . . . welcome others to join in.” Then, the various shapes—rectangle, square, triangle, and circle—as portrayed by the... Read More

Kevin Noble Maillard, a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, narrates his own audiobook about the beauty and complexity of the Native American staple, fry bread. His personality bursts through as he speaks with passion about its historical significance and about his personal connection to it. Moments of playfulness will hook young listeners into learning about the... Read More

Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson shares the rhyming and rhythmic fun of family and friends who are filling Grandma's house to the gills. As relatives and guests arrive bearing turkeys and biscuits, lemonade and cheesecakes, sweet potato pie and cantaloupe in ever increasing numbers, it's clear that a solution for the gathering is desperately needed. Who will craft a plan? Johnson... Read More

Spritely music introduces poet Kwame Alexander’s ode to the joys of reading for the youngest listeners. In a friendly and enthusiastic voice, Alexander compares opening a book to peeling a clementine: “Next, dig your thumb at the bottom of each juicy section and pop the words out.” The short poem rewards repeat listening to tease out all of the meaning and imagery, and... Read More

Canadian poet Jordan Scott exquisitely demonstrates the feeling of having words in your mouth that just won't come out. Our young protagonist wakes up with the sounds of words all around him, but when he gets to school, the words are stuck in his throat. His wise, gentle father takes him to his favorite place, the river, and explains how he speaks like the river, "bubbling,... Read More

Alisa, Rosi, and Brian Amador narrate a sweet story of connecting across a generational and language divide. Mia's "far-away" grandmother has come to live with Mia and her family. Alisa's youthful and earnest voice tells listeners of Mia's struggles to talk with her abuela who is narrated in Spanish by Rosi. Neither Mia's Español nor abuela's English is strong enough for them... Read More

Katherine Kellgren’s narration, along with delightful music, adds considerably to this Caldecott Honor-winning biography of primatologist Jane Goodall. Kellgren’s rhythmic delivery tracks the adventures of young Jane and her stuffed monkey, Jubliee. Kellgren’s reading is bright as Jane scurries into the garden, dragging the chimp behind her. Her tones turn pensive, the music... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham conveys the dreamy quality of Milo's imaginings, along with a weighty message, in his captivating delivery of this thoughtful children's story. Milo imagines and sketches the stories of the passengers on the subway. When a well-dressed boy disembarks at the same stop that he does, Milo realizes that his imaginings about him are incorrect and that the... Read More

Narrator Robertson Dean voices all the hurumpfs, disgruntled sighs, and exasperation of Mother Bruce. This decidedly grumpy and single-minded bear is distraught when a meal he’s planning hatches into a gaggle of goslings who instantly imprint on him as their mother. As narrator, Dean is steady and distinct, letting the story itself unfold in the listener’s mind (along with the... Read More

The rumble of train tracks, warm twangs of a banjo, and soft humming set the scene for this children’s audiobook tracing one family’s journey north during the Great Migration. Narrator Shayna Small embodies Ruth Ellen, the young Black girl who is escaping life on a tenant farm for a new life in New York. Shayna’s voice reflects Ruth Ellen’s mingled anxiety and joy at making the... Read More

A winning combination here—Mo Willems narrates the latest installment in his Pigeon books, and a musical score enriches the experience. The plot is spot-on for children facing the prospect of starting school. Meet Pigeon who, in his own estimation, doesn’t need to go to school because he knows EVERYTHING. But when he’s peppered with questions by kid voices, he becomes contrite,... Read More

Author Adib Khorram gives a gentle and friendly narration of his picture book celebrating Nowruz, the Persian new year. Young Kian wonders whether he can add anything else to his family's haft-seen, the table set with seven special items starting with the letter "S" that will bring happiness in the new year. But when he tries to add their cat Sonny to the haft-seen, predictable... Read More

With a powerful yet friendly voice, George Newbern exudes respect and pride in detailing the jobs of various trucks in the city. For example, he affects a distraught tone when a snowstorm arrives. But as the garbage truck takes on his secret, helpful mission, Newbern nearly bursts with pride. Given the book's final page--a simple illustration that obviously is not part of the... Read More

As the story begins, narrator Nancy Wu catches listeners' attention with her emphatic, "No spinach!" Clearly, young Sylvia does not care for spinach dishes. And wouldn't you know it--when her class gets a classroom garden project underway, Sylvia is the one in charge of the spinach. She grudgingly follows directions but grows despondent as everyone else's seeds sprout. Will she... Read More

Acclaimed author Jason Reynolds nimbly narrates his celebration of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Based on a picture of a real party in Hughes's honor at the Schomburg Center, this loving tribute is alive with rhythm. As Reynolds describes how Hughes excelled at making words dance to his tune, he makes his own words dance. He creates an irresistible feedback loop... Read More

Shabazz Larkin delivers a lively and joyful audiobook companion to his picture book all about appreciating bees. Larkin narrates with warmth as he describes the important role that bees play in pollinating plants and making a picnic's worth of fruits grow. Legend and Royal add giggles, yelps, and exclamations, while Ashley Larkin's bright voice narrates headings and labels.... Read More

Author and narrator Mac Barnett completely charms in this delightful fairy-tale retelling. Barnett is clearly having a great time relating the story of a hungry troll who waits for tasty morsels to cross the bridge over his head. Young listeners will giggle at Barnett's growly voice for the troll, who rhymes hopefully about a goat flambé with candied yams and a goat clam... Read More

Music featuring a single trombone precedes Dion Graham’s narration of this picture-book autobiography by "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a New Orleans native and Grammy Award-nominated musician. Then, the first words of the audiobook—“Where y’at?”—greet listeners with an energetic New Orleans welcome. Graham draws listeners of all ages into an experience that’s lyrical in word,... Read More

This audiobook includes two versions of the late Eric Carle’s classic story, both equally delightful in different ways. The first version is brought joyfully to life by narrator Kevin R. Free with vivid sound effects and music. Kids will laugh out loud as the hungry young caterpillar audibly chomps, crunches, and crinkles its way through all kinds of food until it is full. The... Read More

Narrators Everest de Montebello and Marc Thompson provide a young knight with a youthful voice and a large ogre with a deep and gravelly voice in this examination of children’s perception. At the beginning of the audiobook, the characters confidently inhabit their own sides of a brick wall. As the story unfolds, things are not exactly what the knight thinks they should be.... Read More

A full cast of Cherokee, Navajo, Choctaw, and Chickasaw narrators deliver a moving audiobook companion to an informative picture book. Listeners hear an introductory history of Native Nations in North America, and then a bustling classroom preparing for their Indigenous Peoples' Day assembly. Twelve students recite brief presentations in youthful voices as sound effects and... Read More

Narrator Jorjeana Marie invites listeners into this biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S., in 1849. Marie highlights the determination of the young Blackwell, who even slept on a floor “to toughen herself up.” Background music conveys the period, and the soundscape aids in depicting Blackwell’s reality—the laughing of those who... Read More

Grab a copy of WINNIE-THE-POOH, open to the map of the Hundred-Acre Wood, turn on this recording, and settle in to enjoy the adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends just as A.A. Milne might have shared them with his own family. Producer David Benedictus's dramatization of Milne's enduring stories is a listening pleasure. The interchange between the narrators and the... Read More

Reynolds's beloved story is even more spectacular with Guy Lockard's narration and Sandra Hart's music. The tale of Jerome, a word collector, begins with cheerful music that expresses his excitement. As various words are introduced, the music follows the lead of the text--thoughtful as Jerome expresses respect for the word "wonder" and dramatic while delivering powerful words... Read More

Given the quiet, purposeful narration of Nancy Wu, heroine Zora takes center stage. In an effort to overcome her summer doldrums, Zora plants 12 free zucchini plants. What will her summer have in store for her now? Wu’s carefully modulated voice and distinct elocution let Zora’s creativity come to the fore. Once the plants are producing, there’s only so much zucchini one family... Read More