HOODOO

Narrator Ron Butler conveys the naïve playfulness of 12-year-old Hoodoo, who was born into a magical family--seemingly, without any magic himself. Butler amplifies the humor of Hoodoo's oft-repeated refrain--"if you didn't know"--with just the right throw-away quality. Butler is also frighteningly believable as the deep-voiced Stranger, a demon who must be vanquished by Hoodoo in order to save his family and community. Elements of life in a small, African-American enclave in 1930s Alabama are brought forth through the delicious text and the immersive narration, with Jim Crow problems integrally woven into the story. Spooky and comical by turns, Ronald L. Smith's atmospheric winner of a 2016 Coretta Scott King Award is terrific family listening. S.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2017]