THE JACK PRELUTSKY HOLIDAY CD AUDIO COLLECTION

Jack Prelutsky's holiday poems are perfect for young listeners who have moved on from nursery rhymes; they are short, simple, and delightfully silly. However, Prelutsky works so hard to enunciate and speak softly that his voice comes across as overly modulated, a quality that takes away from the silliness. Although he varies inflection, his performance sounds lacking in emotion, and not much fun; yet his occasional secondary voices, such as the goblin for Halloween, are excellent. He reads at a pleasant pace, allowing those with the book to follow along but fast enough for those just listening. This CD is best for transitional readers, whose attention is equally divided between recognizing the words and enjoying the performance. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]