Donkey-Ride to Disaster - Softcover

What's a nice boy to do when his grandmother is going to be evicted for nonpayment of rent? He hits the road with his trusty ax, hoping to earn money by splitting wood and doing other odd jobs. Nigel Lambert narrates the adventures in a cool, tongue-in-cheek manner, sounding like he's skeptical this boy can raise the needed cash in just a month. He characterizes the few different parts in a British accent. The lucky boy meets up with a professor who can create gold, so all's well that ends well in this upbeat yarn. A.G.H. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Grade 3-5-When woodcutter Nev Niceguy discovers his Gran neglected to pay the rent on their cottage in the forest and they owe the landlord a hefty sum, an innocent Nev sets out with his donkey to find 100 gold coins. The plot moves briskly with some unexpected twists in this reading of Kaye Umansky's novel. While on his quest for money, Nev encounters a series of unforgettable characters, such as a friendly beggar who seems to have a sizeable number of coins, a scruffy independent dog, and a conniving crook who poses as an alchemist. When Nev unknowingly tries to pay for a few purchases with forged gold coins he receives as a reward from the alchemist, he lands in jail. The story abruptly concludes with Nev and two other inmates escaping from prison. Listeners will be disappointed since they must wait for the next episode to find out if Nev finally locates the money he seeks. Narrator Nigel Lambert does a successful job of using British accents to enliven the characters' personalities. Public and school libraries where audiobooks are in demand may consider this as an additional choice, but be prepared to buy the sequel in order to satisfy the curiosity of listeners.
LynnK. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH
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