LITTLE BEAR AUDIO COLLECTION

Narrating simply written "I-Can-Reads" like Minarik's five classic Little Bear stories takes a sensitive reader. The repetitive, plain language might be boring, but not as Sigourney Weaver accents the singsong, rhythmic quality. Weaver infuses the multi-chaptered stories with the emotion that is buried beneath the words. We hear Little Bear's worry when he wakes and finds his mother missing on his birthday and his daring independence as he heads to the moon. His mother's emotions are just as apparent--patient, understanding, and reassuring, she continually comforts and challenges her young child, gently guiding his growth. Best of all, Weaver captures Mother Bear's unconditional love and the tenderness that characterizes the interplay of parent and cub. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]