THE COMPLETE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER

This delightful production of the classic TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER is more suitable for older children and adults than for little listeners. There are several reasons for this: The pretty package is decorated with Beatrix Potter’s drawings, but offers no other illustrations; the CD technology, in comparison with tapes, is inaccessible to young children and does not lend itself to a series of short tales written for little ones; finally, the first CD begins with a fascinating brief biography of Potter, something of more interest to adults than children. That said, Nadia May’s dramatization is very good. Peter Rabbit is young and reckless, Squirrel Nutkin as rude as can be, the cats sound dangerous, and the mice in the "Tailor of Gloucester"--well, they sound just like most sociable mice I know. As with the packaging, May’s reading is geared to older listeners, for while it’s not fast, neither is it toddler-page-turning slow. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]