Fifty Famous Fairy Tales

What a treat to have a compendium of the greats of folk literature from the European tradition narrated by Marguerite Gavin, who evokes memories of one's own mother reading the stories by one's bedside. Her steady, soothing voice navigates the familiar, such as "The Ugly Duckling" and "Tom Thumb," and treasured, but less well-known, tales, such as "The Water of Life" and "Faithful John." Gavin adds just the right amount of inflection and variation to bring voice to each character, be it the innocent child, the gruff and rumbly giant, or the calculating innkeeper. There are too many tales on this recording to listen continuously without causing them to blur together. But three-minute tracking makes navigation manageable so that one can find the right tale for the right time. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

October 15, 2001
Gavin's assured, velvety voice is a good match for this adaptation of an anthology first published in 1917. The genre's most venerable authors—Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault—are all represented as Jack climbs the bean stalk, Cinderella finds her prince and Little Red Riding Hood faces the big bad wolf. Other favorites in this vast collection include "Hansel and Grethel" and "Puss in Boots." Perhaps less well-known but just as entertaining are "The Story of Chicken-Licken" and "The Three Spinners." Kingston's phrasing occasionally sounds a bit formal (consistent with the era of the book's publication), especially because so many of these tales have been retold for children over the years. But listeners who get whisked away by the magical elements of these stories won't mind. Gavin's consistent, even-keeled delivery make this a good choice for bedtime and quiet time, for listeners both young and older. Ages 6-up