THE BIRTHDAY BALL

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Princess Patricia Priscilla escapes her boring existence by taking her chambermaid’s place at the village school. While the castle is abuzz with preparations for the ball at which three “repulsive rulers” will present themselves as suitors, “Pat” experiences the delights of learning delivered by the new schoolmaster. Elissa Steele’s regal voice is a wonderful fit for Lowry’s engaging tale. Her enunciation has the clarity of a gemstone, and she trills Lowry’s droll alliteration and repetitions with ease. (How many rhyming adjectives are there for Delicious the cat?) Steele’s deliberate pacing lets the delights of Lowry’s language shine. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]