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Remember back in the good old days when special family time consisted of sitting together around the fire listening to the village storyteller recite an epic poem? Or fast forward a bit to when storytelling was done in the living room sitting around the radio and listening to various programs together? I don’t remember those days. But I do have fond memories of listening to a storyteller read books aloud on the car during road trips, or the kitchen CD player during lunch. That’s why I tried to introduce listening to audiobooks to my children as early as possible. I learned quickly that when kids are young, not every recording holds them spellbound. But, when we hit on one that did, oh what joy!
Whether your motivation for audiobooks is a way to stay entertained on car trips, or a hope for cozy screen-free evenings, or just a way during a long rainy weekend afternoon to keep everyone together, attentive, and quiet — here are some books that have kept the attention of both small kids and adults.
These are all good stories that can spark great topics for discussion. On our last long car trip, my husband and I continued to discuss various points from TheWind and the Willows for hours, even after the kids had fallen asleep. Be sure to look for these at your local library for free if you have access to a CD player.
1
WINNIE THE POOH
Because most children have some knowledge or at least a visual of Winnie the Pooh, that helps make this particular recording a good way to introduce listening to audiobooks. Listening to it as an adult is even more enjoyable, because it is so easy to see ourselves or someone we know in all the characters from Eeyore to Rabbit. We enjoyed both the Peter Dennis narration and the Stephen Fry and company narration.
2
Swiss Family Robinson
This version of Swiss Family Robinson is highly abridged from the original story, and you can tell because the pace is quite staccato. Knowing something of the original, most of the references to God have been unfortunately cut out. But the action and adventure in this tale of family unity against all odds make it very engaging, especially for my small boys.
3
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
If your child is struggling with a certain misbehavior, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle has the remedy. All the distraught mothers take their naughty children to a Mary-Poppinsesque woman who lives in an upside-down house, and she makes everything all right again with her unique and memorable strategies.
4
Wind in the Willows
The world of Rat, Mole, Toad and Badger is a comforting one. I was surprised that even my three-year-old stayed interested in this story, as it starts off rather slowly. But the characters in Wind in the Willows are spot on, and the discussions on what it means to be a friend are foundational.
5
Little House on the Prairie
Narrated by Cherry Jones, with lovely fiddle parts interspersed in the story, Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie are our favorites.
6
Narnia
Earlier than I thought, all of my children enjoyed listening to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and then moving on to others in the series. I had avoided the Narnia books throughout my childhood, so it was nice to actually listen to them and appreciate them as an adult.
7
Cricket in Times Square
Cricket in Times Square captivated me and my six-year-old, but the younger ones were not as interested. The story follows Mario as he finds and befriends a cricket in the subway near his family’s newspaper stand.
8
The Boxcar Children
This is one of the first audio stories that held my children’s attention completely, and I loved revisiting The Boxcar Children with them.
9
Animal Tales narrated by Jim Weiss
Jim Weiss’ narration of Animal Tales is a staple from my childhood (His voice IS the voice of King Oberon from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and no other actor has ever held up in my mind). We also enjoy his presentations of Robin Hood and Shakespeare, especially Julius Caesar and the Taming of the Shrew.
10
Charlotte’s Web
With a last name like Pigg, you have to appreciate a good porcine protagonist. The version of Charlotte’s Web that we listened to was narrated by the author, E.B. White, and I thought his performance was perfect.
