Over the River And Through the Woods...

My friend Jill asked for audio book recommendations for her granddaughter who is five. Knowing very little about children's audio books, I did a little research. Literacy expert Susan B. Neuman writes,

Hearing a book read on tape helps (your child) see how the words on the page can come alive in a fluid, expressive way. It helps her focus on the sounds of words read without interruption and provides a model of fluent reading. Audio books also give an important introduction to listening — a skill that she must master in order to learn to read.

Several audio formats are available. What you choose depends on how and where you plan to listen. Would you? Could you? In a car? Look for books on CD’s or MP3 downloads. In an OLD car? Cassettes. Do you have new kid technology, such as the Fisher Price Kid Tough FP3 Song & Story Player, or old? Downloads... cassettes. You get the idea. By the way, you can find gently-used Fisher Price tape players online.

Some audio books are packaged with a paperback so your child can look as she listens. These recordings often contain sound cues for page turning. The cues are helpful for beginning or 'pretend' readers with book in hand, but not so helpful when listening on the go as the embedded sounds interrupt the narrative flow. Some audio books are bare-bones. Some are highly produced with music and voice casts.

Where to find them... at yard sales, online barter sites, mom swaps, your local independent book store, online bookstores, FREE download audio book sites, commercial audio book sites, your PUBLIC LIBRARY, publisher's websites.

A great resource for downloads is audible KIDS. I found The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, read by Kelsey Grammer, for $2.95; Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton for $1.95; and The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, for just 99¢. A monthly membership is required.

Listen before you leap. Websites typically let you hear audio samples. Some readers are better than others. Dustin Hoffman's rendition of Horton Hears a Who at audible KIDS is a whoot! Sadly, some wonderful storybooks fall flat without the visuals.

Note reading times. Short audios work best for short trips and younger children. Longer listens shorten holiday road trips... over the river and through the woods. A collection of short stories, such as Green Eggs and Ham and Other Servings of Dr. Seuss by Dr. Seuss, can meet both needs.

Five audio picks for 5-year-olds:
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May) by Barbara Park
Amelia Bedelia Audio Collection by Peggy Parish

Three picks for 3's:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell