YOU'RE A BAD MAN, MR. GUM

Mr. Gum is dirty, lazy, and mean. The only good thing anyone could say about him is that he has the most beautiful garden in town, but that’s only true because a bullying fairy makes him keep it up. Kate Winslet brings energy and vivid expression to her performance as the intrusive narrator of this comically absurd story. Her many asides are as witty as Stanton’s words as she tells us the parallel narratives of Mr. Gum’s trying to solve the problem of a stray dog leaving gifts in his garden and a girl named Polly’s attempts to thwart Mr. Gum. Listeners who love Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl will walk away laughing. A.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2012]