FREDDY AND THE DRAGON

Upper-elementary-school children will enjoy this well-read adventure. Despite the many characters, John McDonough juggles each characterization with extreme versatility. He makes the many shifts between parts as naturally as changing clothes, making just the right selection for each scene. His deadpan rendition of the villagers’ reactions to the headless horseman provokes even the most serious listener to laughter. As one character reports about not having a head, “It’s downright unhandy!” The woman with hay fever who sneezes nonstop is sure to be the children’s favorite character. McDonough makes the veritable zoo populating this tale especially enjoyable listening. A.G.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]