THE ROD CLEMENT COLLECTION

The Australian author’s gift for wacky humor will have kids all over the world laughing over this collection of stories. Dino Marnika's and Rebecca Macauley’s narrations—whether solo or blended—add to the fun. Macauley’s cadences, for example, excel in the silly rhyming story of Edwina, an emu who’s seeking employment rather than mothering her 12 babes. Marnika’s sarcasm colors the story of a thoughtful boy whose home experiments, such as calculating how many humpback whales would fit in his bedroom, are great giggle material. A duet of both narrators’ voices creates silly animal caricatures when Olga the Brolga (an Australian crane) tries to find a dancing partner. Short musical interludes add to the stories’ moods—from frolicking to suspenseful. S.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]