Lately we’ve been borrowing family-friendly, chapters-long audiobook CDs from the library for our long family road trips. But here are some CDs I’ve kept in the car for shorter excursions, when we just need a few short stories to help us get from Point A to Point B without any backseat bickering.
The Tell Me a Story 3-Disc Set contains more than three hours worth of multicultural folktales read by enthusiastic performers. Discs include Tell Me a Story: Timeless folktales from around the world, Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic and Tell Me a Story 3: Women of Wonder (which features stories about courageous and clever goddesses and heroines).
Tales range from about 5 to 13 minutes long, and I found myself not knowing many of the stories (these are not your typical “Turtle and the Hare” fables). I sat quietly (just like my kids!), listening to them, eagerly anticipating the climax and conclusion and wondering what the “moral of the story” would be (many had clever characters who had lessons to teach).
Each storyteller takes on different voices — from a grumpy ogre and throaty turtle to a frightened possum and a pensive fisherman. We had fun pausing the CD after each story to talk about the different images the stories conjured up; we described what we thought each character looked like. Each legend is accompanied by instrumental music that complements the story — and stories truly originate from around the world, including Great Britain, Cambodia, Africa and America’s Wild West.
Talented Amy Friedman wrote the stories that are selected from her worldwide syndicated column, Tell Me a Story. Laura Hall wrote the original music, and many of the performers are well-known actors — Tony, Emmy, and Oscar winners among them.
Purchase the 3-disc CD set at CDBaby.com for $35. I also found discounted individual CDs on Amazon.com.
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