THE EXCUSE

Pete's teacher, Mr. Scarsdale, falls for the lamest student excuses. So there's a bet on about how tall a tale he'll swallow, and Pete pushes it to the limit with his excuse for tardiness featuring a stranded spacecraft and an alien. Stig Wemyss is an engaging and funny narrator whose voice, with its irresistible Australian accent, will prompt children to imitate him long after the story is over. Younger children will like the comic sound effects that liberally punctuate the story (you'll "hear" eyebrows waggle and the class of students sigh) though older listeners and adults may find that the abundance of noises takes something away from Wemyss's excellent narration. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]