Showing results by narrator "John McDonough" in All Categories

Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, love to take naps - too many naps. What they need is a sport! Luckily, Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke, know of a baseball team they can join. It's not long before Mr. Putter is ready to play ball, but will his creaky knees cooperate? And can Zeke avoid wreaking havoc on the field? Win or lose, this baseball team will never be the same!

In this delightful tale by Newbery Award winner Cynthia Rylant, Mr. Putter doesn't share Mrs. Teaberry's enthusiasm for a class on 100 ways to cook beans. And yet - finding it hard to say no to his kind friend - he attends the class with her anyhow, expecting to be bored.

Following her brother's death and her mother's emotional breakdown, Laura now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in a lonely townhouse she shares with her old-world, strict, often querulous grandparents. But the arrangement may be temporary. Nearly unmoored from reality through her panic and submerged grief, Laura is startled when a handsome swan boy with only one wing lands on her roof. Hiding him from her ever-bickering grandparents, Laura tries to build the swan boy a wing so he can fly home. But the task is too difficult to accomplish herself.

One cool autumn day, Bear's friends decide to visit him, but he can't come out to play - poor Bear is sick. Never fear though, his woodland pals are working very hard to make him feel better. They bundle him up, make him broth, and even sing him lullabies. With all this love and attention, Bear will be back on his paws in no time.

Sylvester is a rock collector. One day he finds a magic pebble that makes wishes come true. He rushes home to share his good fortune with his parents. On the way, he’s frightened by a hungry lion and quickly asks the pebble to turn him into a rock, so the lion can’t eat him. It works - but there sits Sylvester on Strawberry Hill with no way to hold the pebble to wish himself back into a donkey. Seasons come and go as Sylvester’s parents desperately search for him....

Tracing 25 centuries of human history, from the fourth century BC to the present day, Manguel dedicates each of his chapters to a single character - ranging from our best-known thinkers, scientists, and artists to seemingly minor figures of whom we know little more than one inspired utterance - in whom he identifies a particular way of asking the question "why?"

Hermit Crab lives in a little shell house on the ocean floor. Wherever he crawls, he carries the shell on his back. He feels safe and snug in his cozy house. But in January, the shell begins to feel tight. Hermit Crab steps out of his safe house into the open sea. Without his shell, the ocean floor seems frightening. Large, hungry fish swim all around. When Hermit Crab finds a bigger, empty shell, he wiggles into it. It feels just right. But it’s so plain. Will he ever feel at home in his new house?

The old witch wants a pumpkin pie. First she plants a pumpkin seed. She weeds and waters and waits. A tiny sprout pokes through the ground, and soon a small pumpkin appears. It grows, and it grows some more. When Halloween is only hours away, the witch decides it is finally time to bake the pie. But first she must somehow pull the huge pumpkin off the vine.

Ever since he was a boy, Mr. Putter has always loved planes. And he still loves playing with toys - even though he is pretty old. While visiting the toy store with his fine cat, Tabby, he decides to buy a brand new, red and white, remote-controlled biplane! Remembering when he was young, how he stayed awake at night wishing for such a toy, Mr. Putter thinks about the boy he met earlier that day. The boy was a little shy, clumsy and forgetful - just like Mr. Putter was when he was that age!

It's summertime, and Mr. Putter and Tabby are tired of being hot. Their neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke are sweaty, too. Maybe a trip to the pond will cool them off. Mrs. Teaberry packs a lunch of apple tea, tomato sandwiches, and kiwi salad. Mr. Putter likes her funny food. When they get to the pond, they rent a boat and find a shady spot for a picnic. They share tall tales while they eat. Mr. Putter tells about the time he won a worm race.

First published in 1848, Camille captivated Paris and has inspired countless adaptations. This classic story of love and loss is based on the author’s real-life affair with courtesan Marie Duplessis. Also known as The Lady of the Camellias, the novel follows the courtesan Marguerite Gautier through her tumultuous love affair with handsome—but middle class—Armand Duval. Before their passionate affair is over, one lover must give up everything.

With fun-loving rhymes and a curious mystery to solve, Bear's New Friend, from acclaimed children's author Karma Wilson, is sure to become a new favorite of kids everywhere. A warm and fuzzy reading from narrator John McDonough makes this a delightful listen for youngsters and adults alike.

From well-known nature and adventure writer Dan Koeppel, whose work has appeared in Audubon and National Geographic Adventure, comes this true story of one bird watcher's incredible achievements.

Karma Wilson’s Bear books, featuring a heartwarming reading by series stalwart John McDonough, are endearing short tales cher­ished by young listeners. Here, Bear goes out for a walk only to quickly get hungry and start back to his lair for a snack. Soon he becomes lost in the dark, cold, and windy woods. Good thing he has a number of woodland friends to rescue him and get him back home safely.

People come from near and far to buy Walter’s delicious bread, cookies, and tarts. Everyone agrees he is the best baker in the whole Duchy. The Duke and Duchess love his sweet rolls for breakfast. Every morning, he carries a basketful of warm rolls to their castle. But one day the cat spills the milk he plans to use for the bread dough. What can Walter do? He grabs a pitcher of water and pours it into the flour. Will the Duke and Duchess notice the difference?

Edward J. Larson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and eminent science historian. This marvelously readable, yet sumptuously erudite work traces the development of the scientific theory of evolution. From Darwin's essential trip to the Galápagos, to the most contemporary studies in sociobiology, this work takes listeners both into the field and laboratories of the world's greatest evolutionary scientists, and shows how the theory of evolution has itself evolved.

As did his father before him, Pierce Butler treats his plantation slaves like family. But massive gambling debts force him to sell 429 “family” members. When the auction begins, torrential rain falls - not stopping until the final slave is sold the next day. The ominous rainfall prompts these words: “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.” Based on the largest slave auction in U.S. history, this poignant montage is the fictionalized account of that 1859 Georgia tragedy.

With the Lichfield County Fair just around the corner, Dorsetville is a beehive of activity. But is there still time for faith and compassion to help a failing carnival, an aged debutante, and a disillusioned teen?

While the snow swirls outdoors and the fire crackles in the hearth, Mr. Putter decides to write a mystery book. But he soon learns that writing isn't as easy as he thought it would be.

Popular author Katherine Valentine pens the highly anticipated fourth novel in her beloved Dorsetville series. On a Wing and a Prayer is an enchanting portrait of life in a quaint New England town "where miracles are never far away". The 12-year-old Gallagher twins fall through the ice on Fenns Pond and need a miracle of their own. Father James, the parishioners of St. Cecilia’s, Doc Hammond, and all the regulars at the Country Kettle Café struggle to keep their faith as God’s will is eventually revealed.