Boom Snot Twitty
Narrator Tavia Gilbert animates three unusual friends in a performance that is integrated seamlessly with accompanying music and sound effects. It isn’t every day that a bear, a bird, and a snail share a friendship, and it isn’t every day that a thunderstorm causes such uproar. Gilbert crafts a voice for each animal that is echoed in the signature music for each creature–a gentle boom for Boom, a high-pitched trill for Twitty, and an ever-changing melody for Snot. Gilbert narrates at a leisurely pace and provides long pauses for listeners to set each scene in their minds. While the storm itself can be appreciated from the audiobook, young listeners who have the accompanying print version in hand will find additional story details in the illustrations. AudioFile Magazine
This first entry in what appears to be a new series about three dissimilar friends is given a workmanlike reading by Gilbert. Listening underlines how minimalist the text really is and how much of the book is actually conveyed by Renata Liwska’s charming, soft-focus illustrations. Still, the recorded version makes use of auditory cues to underline the animals’ very different personalities: impulsive Boom’s lines are frequently accompanied by a kettle drum; hesitant Twitty is given a squeaky-string backdrop; and Snot slides along on a crystalline tinkle. The intermittent music is supplemented by appropriately placed but not intrusive sound effects: the whoosh of wind and rain as a storm arrives and the contented, snuffling snores of the tired companions when day is done. Fans of this gentle trio will undoubtedly look forward to listening to their further adventures. Booklist