THE OCTOPUS

Poor Barney! He's got chicken pox, and it's up to Grandpa Spanielson to distract his “grand-pup” with some anti-itch stories. Narrator John Beach uses his most convincing old-codger voice to conjure up Grandpa, who tells a terrifying tale of a storm that produces a hurricane in the bathtub—along with an octopus. If anyone can make this scenario sound alarming, it's Grandpa—I mean, John Beach. The narration is enhanced by sound effects of sword fighting (with a swordfish), tension-filled music, and the “squooshing” of Grandpa doing battle with a toilet plunger. The production also includes sounds of the sea, with gulls screeching and waves crashing. Listeners will enjoy the dimension these effects add to this lively tale. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]