Ten in a Bed

I was first introduced to Andy Ahlberg's Ten in a Bed when I was a kid living in Cambridge England. The version we had was the one narated by Carole Boyd. That version is great on its own merits but I love the voices that Andy Crane does. My only nit is that it seems that Andy Crane does rush a bit and I feel he sometimes steps on his own timing.

I got the tape version for my little ones to listen to in the car. They are only 4 & 5 and they absolutely loved it. The suggested age above says 9-12, but I think that is a little high. If your younger ones have any sort of decent vocabulary, and even a passing familiarity w/ the classic children's tales (or at least their tenets), they will thoroughly enjoy this book. True, they will have some of the "dry British wit" fly over their heads, but the story is undoubtedly still for kids. Sort of like watching the Simpsons with your 12 year-old: They don't get the Kennedy impersonations or social commentary, but they still enjoy watching it. Note that the narrator of the tape is also outstanding. He reads it like a real pro, an actor possibly. The intonations, the style, his effort at switching characters back and forth (listen to the Wolf chapter for a particularly excellent example of this skill)... absolutely first rate! Highly recommended!

Ten in a Bed is an excellent bedtime storybook. Each chapter contains a slightly twisted version of a classic fairy tale. The book is ingeniously written to make the stories sound more concrete than your average fairy tale. Too many people are convinced that childrens books are only for children, but most adults will enjoy reading this book, if they have the time. Most American children may not understand some of the British terms used in this book, but adults will definitely appreciate its dry humor. The book does not have many illustrations, but the authors implemented great descriptions and word imagery to create a rather interesting and modern setting for fairy tales. Every kid should have this book read to them at least once, and every adult should read this book to at least one child.

This book is a guaranteed favorite for young preschool children! The repetition of the text makes this book a winner! I read this book several times each day. I teach Pre-kindergarten and my children beg for more!!!!!! This book has been an asset in my classroom for teaching counting skills and number sequencing. I highly recommend it for any parent or teacher of young children. Also you can incorporate singing to the text. It's a GREAT book