MOO

Reena and her younger brother are excited about their family's decision to leave the city for a new life in Maine--until their parents volunteer them to help grumpy Mrs. Falala with her obstinate cow, Zora. With MOO's small cast of characters and Sharon Creech's customary poetic frugality with words, the importance of the audiobook's narration quality is outsized. Brittany Pressley's youthful voice is perfect for the two siblings. She also does a fair job with Maine accents, though she struggles with Mrs. Falala's Italian one. Still, Pressley sets a believable mood. As the siblings gain skill with Zora, we hear them grow in confidence, and we hear the proportional softening of Mrs. Falala. Zora plays a major role; her oft-repeated line is a surprisingly diminutive, "moo." L.T. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2016]