KENNY & THE DRAGON

Alan Cumming's delivery of this tale set in rural England brings a smile to the listener's face from the very beginning. Young Kenny, book loving and curious, has a newly discovered best friend and kindred spirit, a poetry-reading dragon named Grahame. Cumming gives the beast a magnificent deep bass voice reminiscent of Sir John Gielgud at his most formal. Unfortunately, Kenny's other best friend is George, bookstore owner and slayer of dragons. Unless a solution can be found, a terrible battle will take place in Kenny's meadow with a wide variety of villagers in full voice against the peaceful dragon. While recognizing DiTerlizzi's allusions to classic stories adds to the fun, it's not necessary for appreciating this tale, with its clever and satisfying ending. R.H.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]