Rabbit Ears Audiobooks for Kids

A while back, I recommended to you The Jesus Storybook Bible in audiobook format.  Today, I would like to add one more Bible story to my short list, and in so doing, introduce you to an audiobook source worthy of note:

Rabbit Ears Cherished Bible Stories: Parables that Jesus Told, The Savior is Born.  Read by Morgan Freeman. 28 min.  Ages 0-12.

Rabbit Ears is a company that many Christian parents, especially homeschoolers and classical schoolers, will want to get to know.  They are a company that employs the best actors of our day to bring stories from history and around the world to life for kids.  Stories such as Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, African Anansi stories, Brer Rabbit, Five Chinese Brothers, and yes, even excerpts from The Bible.   And who is voicing these stories?  Well, a list of their narrators reads like a Hollywood Who’s Who, but in a good way.  (So far as I know, Brittany Spears and Ozzy Osbourne aren’t involved.)  Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams, and Danny Glover are–in general, folks who have resonant voices and know how to tell a story.  In addition, they offer DVD, audiobook, and book-audiobook combos (though these can be expensive), and in general I’m inclined to believe their tagline, “Great stories, well told.”

As with any publisher, the tone and quality of the books they offer vacillate.  Retelling old stories for children in a way that both respects the original material and is comprehensible to the general public is a huge challenge. For instance, Morgan Freeman’s version of the birth of Christ was very respectful of the Biblical text, and except for the reference to Mary as a maiden instead of a virgin, it was good on the whole.  Do keep in mind, though, that these are retellings of the Bible stories–not readings from Scripture itself.  (Plus, I should add I was cleaning my kitchen as I listened and couldn’ hear every single word.  Overall, though, it was good.)

However, in Garrison Keillor’s reading of the parables of Jesus, the writers included a long introduction.  (Hint to non-Christian writers and publishers: don’t do that.)  While the parables themselves followed the Biblical stories fairly well, the picture of Jesus provided by the introduction left a lot to be desired.  In Keillor’s telling, Jesus was “doing something completely new,” breaking with the Old Testament’s God of revenge, offering a new concept of peace, love, and forgiveness.  Except for that line, the problem wasn’t misinformation so much as a skewed focus on the mercy and compassion of God, and a complete absence of His power and justice.  Even so, it really wasn’t that much of a problem for us since my daughter gets that part of the picture elsewhere.

Another interesting facet of these books is the musical accompaniment.  I was amazed to hear Morgan Freeman’s voice played over a background of classical choral music.  It really helped evoke the Christian history of our culture.  The story of Pinochio includes a brass band, while an American folktale is helped along with folk music.  One the other hand, I wasn’t all that fond of B. B. King’s accompaniment of John Henry–though I love that concept–and some of the songs do put me in mind of elevator music.  I wasn’t able to hear Bela Fleck’s accompaniment of The Creation Story, though I have to say I am both intrigued and afraid of the concept.  (Maybe I can get a copy soon and review a few more of their titles.  Or maybe you’ve heard it and can tell me what you thought?)  Still, you can preview each tale before you buy and there are many to choose from, so doubtless you can find one that isn’t offensive to your musical taste.

Try It Free

• WEBSITE: There are lots of options for how you can test out these audiobooks for your home or school.  You can browse their online store, www.rabbitears.com, and listen to excerpts of the productions.  You could buy them, but if you’re not particular, they actually offer one free video on their homepage.  You could actually let your kids listen to this without video.
• LIBRARIES: For a more traditional free outlet, they partner with many libraries, offering both hard copies you can rent at your local library as well as online lending options.
• AUDIBLE.COM: Amazon.com has an offer right now that will allow you to download one story for free.  Strings attached, as usual, but it’s probably still worth it for many families.  Click here to check that out: Rabbit Ears Cherished Bible Stories: Parables that Jesus Told, The Savior is Born.  You will have to click on “Audible Audio Edition” to get to the free download offer.

One last point, some of you may know that Rabbit Ears has been around for a while and effectively went out of print in the early 90s.  But the original founders took over again in 1995, and since then, the quality has markedly improved.  While I can’t vouch for everything they publish (haven’t reviewed any of their picture books), I absolutely applaud them for their work in bringing old stories and folk stories from around the world to kids today.

Have you listened to any of these audiobooks?  Have any favorites?  I’d love to know!

If you’re looking for more audiobook recommendations, try Shakespeare on Record, Music of The Little House, or 10 Vacation Audiobooks for the Whole Family.  Or see Janie’s post on Distance Lending for more creative ways to get books.

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