DEMON DENTIST

Author-narrator David Walliams energetically depicts Alfie, who, after a horrific experience with an earlier dentist, is understandably reluctant to visit the town's new dentist, Dr. Root, and her cat, Fang. Walliams's delivery is lively. Adjectives take on lives of their own, and there's also a funny "boing" when he makes up a word. Jocelyn Jee Esien stands out as Alfie's melodious-voiced Afro-Caribbean social worker. She and Raj, the Indian corner shop owner, terrifically and authentically portrayed by Nitin Ganatra, assist Alfie when Dr. Root turns out to be a tooth witch who's pulling kids' teeth whether they're decayed or not. The bittersweet conclusion is ideal—and believable—for Walliams’s young listeners. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2014]