Dragon

In the final installment of the Five Ancestors series, Long the dragon works with the other ancestors to prevent the assassination of the emperor, who's being held captive in a pig's crate. Narrator Kiki Barrera impressively differentiates a large cast of characters. The Emperor sounds regal, the Dutch boat captain sounds European, and the youngest warrior monk is delightfully uninhibited and enthusiastic. Barrera provides believable pronunciation of Chinese words and names and a delivery that matches the story's action. Young listeners will learn a lot about teamwork and the necessity to keep one's body and equipment in good condition. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine