Aaron

If you're on this page, I doubt I need to sell you on Dr. Seuss's work. 'Green Eggs and Ham' is, of course, a classic. Jason Alexander's performance is brilliantly hammy, just as one would expect from somebody reading a kids' book aloud. He reads in distinct voices for Sam-I-Am and the hesitant diner, both perfectly Seussian. I also own the eleven-story "Cat in the Hat" collection, but this is the best Dr. Seuss reading I've heard yet.

This audiobook includes the full text of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States as it currently stands. Winiarski's reading is clear and easy to understand, delivered as if he were reading the documents aloud in a town square.

Anybody in a position to read this review is likely familiar with the works of Dr. Seuss. Even the lesser-known titles are wonderful, with a wit and charm that shows no lack of respect for kids' intelligence. With that in mind, I'll focus on how these books fared in the journey to audiobook. It is unfortunate that the illustrations couldn't be included, as those are a big part of the storytelling, but that's normal for an audiobook. Most of the readings in this compilation are excellent. Lithgow's, Danson's, Cleese's, and the other readings are well delivered, with a good pace, rhythm, and volume for the job.

The one story that disappointed me was "The Cat in the Hat." Grammer, whom I would have expected to be an outstanding narrator, speeds through the lines in such a way that it's even hard for me, the adult, to keep track of where each line ends and the next begins. His second reading, of "The Cat in the Hat Returns," is much better in this respect, so I suspect it was a creative choice that I personally don't agree with.

To elaborate on the concerns about skipping to a particular book: as with any book here on Audible, this one is broken down into chapters. In this case, each chapter corresponds to a story. Unfortunately, the books are labeled with numbers, rather than titles. If you want to hear "Yertle the Turtle," you either need to know that "Yertle" is chapter six, or scan through the chapters until you find it. If I were going to put these on an iPod and hand it to a kid, I'd prefer that the chapters had titles. Still, these are mostly minor flaws, and I can easily overlook them, given the quality of the stories and the storytelling.

As others have stated, it could easily have been made into a TV episode. It's not a terribly ground-breaking story; the first two-thirds is the common "pleasure trip to the past uncovers a dark secret" plot. However, it's a very well-told story, so feels fresh, and the characters behave like you'd expect they would in the series; Rose's sassy charm and Ten's cleverness are readily apparent.

David Tennant's narration is top-notch, and comes very close to capturing the energy of a full-cast dramatization. His reading demonstrates both his experience as a voice actor and a thorough understanding of the show's other major characters.