Just So Stories

Rudyard Kipling's imperialistic yet fanciful stories for children are presented by Shelly Frasier in this imaginative production. Kipling gives listeners the stories behind the elephant's long trunk, the camel's spots, and the taming of the first dog, to name just a few of the dozen yarns featuring animal escapades in India and Africa. Frasier's reading reflects the Victorian age in which the stories were written. Sounding oh so proper throughout, her tone is reminiscent of a nanny or a school mistress. Her stuffiness, however, might lose a younger listener after a couple of stories, regardless of the clever and entertaining subject matter. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

June 1, 2001
HarperChildren's Audio continues its re-release rollout of classic backlist titles with Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories and Other Tales performed by the late British actor Boris Karloff. Just So stories include "How the Leopard Got His Spots" and "The Elephant's Child"; the "other stories" are tales from Kipling's The Jungle Book, including "Mowgli's Brothers."

Boris Karloff delivers Rudyard Kipling's beloved animal stories in his inimitable style. This new format for a vintage Caedmon recording will become a family favorite. Travel to the "high and far-off times," when once again the elephant's child with "satiable curiosity" will have his nose elongated, the hedgehog and tortoise will confound the jaguar, the camel's laziness and "humpf" will be immortalized with a hump, and even the mighty whale will be outmatched by someone in suspenders. Karloff narrates with eloquent locution and a full repertoire of creature voices that delight the ear. His command of the territory from "the banks of the turbid Amazon to the high veldt" rewards the listener with vivid images. State-of-the-art remastering adds a richness not found in the original presentation. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine