SCARY STORIES

Narrator George S. Irving speaks, shouts, sings, and shrieks his way through Alvin Schwartz's classic collections of spooky folklore. Irving's performances have been around for years, but Harper has repackaged them for a new generation with striking holographic cover art. Schwartz's stories are meant to be told, and Irving knows how to get every last jump and shiver out of them. Whether he's singing "The Hearse Song," building to crescendo in cumulative tales like "Clinkity-Clink," or portraying a variety of accents, Irving is convincing. With such a performance, the musical effects sometimes seem unnecessary, but they don't detract from the production. The packaging states that the collection is "complete," although several stories from the first--and, arguably, best--volume are not included. Nonetheless, this makes an excellent choice for family listening. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]