RUMPLE BUTTERCUP A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself

Actor Matthew Gray Gubler (“Criminal Minds”) brings his children’s story to the listener’s ear with exuberance. Imagine a creature with five crooked teeth, three hairs, and a big left foot who lives underground near a rain drain. He only comes above ground by moonlight disguised under a banana peel, furnishes his home with the dregs found in a garbage can, and fashions a friend from ABC candy bits. No one would possibly want to befriend this creature—right? Well . . . Emphasizing alliteration, using myriad voices ranging from falsetto to squeaky, and changing pace on a dime are all part of Gubler’s craft. As narrator, he is cheerfully distinctive. Things just might change at this year’s Pajama Jam Cotton Candy Pancake Parade. A.R. 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2019]