Screening audios can be pretty painful- each year we ponder giving it up. The music is often preachy or so frenetic that you want to scream, and so many of the books on audio are so dry, you can’t imagine any child sitting through any of it–without falling asleep.
And then we get to something recorded by Jim Dale and we feel happy that we cover this category of children’s media. If you’re looking for something to enjoy in the car, we’d highly recommend Return to the Hundred Acre Wood read by the unmatched narrator of our generation, Jim Dale. It’s now available from Penguin Audio. Don’t be put off by the introduction…get to the story and all of the wonderful voices of Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and gang. As you may know this is first authorized sequet to A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and The House At Pooh Corner in more than 80 years. There are two new characters, Lottie and Otter. (And if you have a child that wants to begin the Harry Potter series but may have trouble with the length of the titles–Jim Dale brings the whole Hogwarts gang to life. Perfect for long trips–you’ll all want to get back in the car.)
There’s a lot of “storybook treasuries” out there. Which is better — audio books or DVDs of the stories? Are the DVDs going to replace the record and book combinations of my childhood?
Great question! I still think there is great value in being able to just listen to a story. Of course, if the storyteller is boring, game over. That’s why we’re such great fans of Jim Dale because he really brings the story to life. You don’t need a visual–he gives you all the ingredients to make your own pictures in your mind’s eye. That said, our kids are growing up in a media rich world. The car used to be the last media free zone–good for talking and listening to audios…but with all of those handy dandy DVD players making their way into our cars, that too is no longer a safe haven for screen-less moments. I have a sense that if you can make listening part of your family’s tradition, your kids may be more open to it as the years go on. The early Harry Potter audios certainly kept the peace in our car. That said, those DVDs are mighty attractive when the fighting begins in the back of the car!