SHREK!

Steig's small gem (later transformed into the blockbuster movie) is masterfully narrated by actor Stanley Tucci. Smelly, flame-throwing, and full of his own ugly swagger, Tucci's Shrek shrieks and belches his way through this tale, encountering cackling witches, comical knights, and punning donkeys, whose distinct voices further enrich the story's originality. In Shrek's upside-down world, good is bad, and ugly is better. The story's triumphant happy-ever-after ending is crowned with a hilarious back-and-forth duet between Shrek and his true match, the world's ugliest princess, who croons to him: "Your nose is so hairy/Oh, let us not tarry/ Your look is so scary/I think we should marry." Tucci revels in every bit of Steig's humor, ensuring that listeners of all ages will, too. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]