Tell Me A Story 3: Women of Wonder [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Amy Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tell Me a Story

Winner 2010 Audie Award, Best "Original Work" Parents' Choice Gold Medal, for story telling National Association of Parenting Publications Gold Medal for Story telling World Story telling Award With six multicultural folktales, myths and legends of goddesses and heroines, read by some of stage and screen's goddesses, including Paula Poundstone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica DiCicco, Yvette Freeman, Wendy Hammers and jazz singer Margot Rose, each story accompanied by original music

Editorial Reviews

Review

Let's hear it for the girls! CD audiobooks, or what I still call "books on tape are my secret weapon against boredom in the car. Our newest gem is Tell Me a Story 3: Women of Wonder which follows in the footsteps of its much loved predecessors, Tell Me a Story and Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic. And, as the mother of two girls, I am thrilled that the heroes of these new stories by Amy Friedman are actually heroines. In just over an hour's drive, my kids move from Cambodia to Turkey to the old, Wild West in these six stories culled from legends and folktales from the past. And while many stories from days gone by focus on those important (male) gods, soothsayers and heroes, in all of these stories, it's the girls who save the day using their brains, their cunning and, sometimes, their brute strength. The clever Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind uses all three in her American tall tale which is narrated by the perfectly-suited voice of Paula Poundstone. The Whisker of the Lioness turns the tables on typical stepmother; stories in such a totally clever, yet meaningful, way that I think all new stepchildren deserve to hear its message. Laura Hall, who I remember as the affable pianist on the improv TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, has created a lively score to suit each story. And since none is longer than 14 minutes, even a short car ride can squeeze in one or two. It's even been a hit with my son who thinks all superheroes are boys. -Christina --Cool Mom Picks, September 19, 2009

In this impressive production, each of the five stories story radiates a message of lifelong significance regarding human compassion, cleverness, conflicts, triumphs, and patience. Writer and producer Amy Friedman has redesigned standard conventional folktales from a variety of cultures into enchanting and compelling narratives. In each story, a female character is confronted with a challenge that initially seems impossible. The opening story, "The Cleverest Tune," demonstrates the wit of the young daughter who was given the daunting task of completely filling a 200-room palace-from corner to corner, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. In "The Goddess and the Ogre" the heroine uses kindness to overshadow the fierceness of the villain. Children will be fascinated as the adventures of these legendary characters unfold. The rich voices of the professional readers expertly chill, charm, and captivate. The highly gifted musicians boost the story's magic from the opening overture through the final "Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind." Although the CD title and the story characters might imply that the stories would appeal to young women, boys will equally appreciate the journey of each story's protagonist. All young listeners should have the opportunity to immerse themselves into these delectable tales. Dr. Flora Joy ©2009 Parents' Choice --Dr. Flora Joy, Parents' Choice Storytelling Gold Medal 2009

KIDS READER REVIEWS Reviewed by Sophia (age 6.5) and Madeline (age 8) McElroy for Reader Views (7/09) Sophia: I thought it was more interesting to listen to the CD stories instead of reading, because I liked hearing the different voices and music. My favorite story was The Whisker of the Lioness. I like this story because I like animals. I think it would be crazy to try and pull a whisker off a lioness in real-life. I also liked Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind. This is a story about a girl who was really sweet, but she was tough! She even picked-up rattlesnakes! I thought this was an exciting story. Madeline: It was fun listening to the CD instead of reading it. It was like someone was reading me a story from a book. I liked the music a lot and the stories were funny and interesting and sometimes very scary! The funniest story was The Goddess and the Ogre. I thought the Ogre s voice was really funny. The scariest story was called The Whisker of the Lioness. This is a story about a young girl who had to be brave enough to pull a whisker off a lioness. Her Grandmother told her she needed the whisker to make a love potion. The little girl missed her Mother very much after she died. This story is not only scary, but sad and has a very happy ending. I would like to listen to more tales from the Tell Me a Story series. Parent Comment: Great stories and music! I enjoyed this collection by Amy Friedman as much as the kids. We decided to listen to Tell Me a Story 3: Women of Wonder (Audio CD) mostly while driving in the car and boy what a great idea. The car was silent as they listened to the tales being told. I loved that the collection of stories were from all over the globe. --Kids Reader Reviews, Austin, Texas

About the Author

Amy Friedman is the author of the long-running, worldwide syndicated column Tell Me a Story from which the stories on this CD Audio book were selected. Laura Hall, composer, is best known as the pianist from the hit television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Friedman & Danziger; 1 edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979086736
• ISBN-13: 978-0979086731
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Books on CD > Children's Fiction > Animals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL ADDITON TO A WONDERFUL SERIES BY AMY FRIEDMAN, July 16, 2009

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tell Me A Story 3: Women of Wonder (Audio CD)

This CD is the third in one of the most delightful offerings of this nature I have had the pleasure of listening to in years! The art of true story telling and the wisdom and lore from our many folktales is being slowly lost, year after year. Offerings such as this and the two preceding CDs help keep both the traditional story telling skills and the tradition of folk legends alive. When a good tale and a good teller of tales come together, a certain magic is present; a magic like no other and both traditions are alive and well due to Amy Friedman. She is providing us a wonderful service.

Tell Me a Story 3, Women of Wonder is a collection of six myths and legends from around the world. Brittan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Turkey, Siberia and America are all represented here in fine fashion. Each story is read by professional actors from around the world and each tale is introduced and accompanied by wonderful music provided by Laura Hall; each musical piece fits the tale perfectly.

Folktales and myths are one of my favorite genre and are somewhat different than fairy tales, which deal in complete fantasy (not that the stories here lack a bit of that mystical quality), and little vignettes such as we find with Aesop's Fables which are not as subtle as folktales when it comes to teaching lessons. With the choice Ms. Friedman has given us with her selections we need not fear the grimness of the Brothers Grimm; yet like fairy tales and fables and such, each of these six stories has a message; an important message...you just have to use your mind and think about it a bit. Folktales simply stick with a person longer as they do require thought. Here we get a good story, a dose of history, a smattering of different cultures, and lessons well learned. What more could you offer a child and have the added benefit of entertaining them at the same time?

As the title of the CD would suggest, these are stories that feature women; strong and smart women, I might add. Now some might feel that these tales from around the world have a feminist slant. I feel this would be a mistake. There was not one story here that with minor variations in the wording that could not apply to both female and male. But that being said; lets face it...our world, our history and all of our cultures have been filled with bright, smart, aggressive and talented women from the beginning and it is rather nice to find works such as this that point this out and provide wonderful and inspiring examples. Both little girls and little boys need to learn these facts, and as far as I am concerned, the sooner the better!

This particular CD lasts for approximately 68 minutes. Each story is separate and a stand-alone. This is good. What better way to entertain while taking either long or short auto trips? I found that the stories were just as fascinating for "big people" as they are for the wee ones...wonderful family entertainment. If you have only a short trip or a short time to listen, then one story at a time can the heard as the longest one here is only a bit over 13 minutes and the shortest a bit over 8. And other than reading a book or having one read to you, I cannot imagine a better way to spend a rainy afternoon.

There are two other CDs to this series Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales from Around the Worldand Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic. The first two are as delightful as the one being reviewed here. I strongly recommend collecting all three. These CDs are ideal for home use and are ideal for use in the classroom. It is difficult to give this work and the others a targeted age group. Certainly all of these tales are appropriate for the young (four and up) but they, to be quite frank, are just as appealing to young adults and older adults as well.

It is interesting to note that I listened to this CD and the other two and had two of my grandsons listen with me. They are ages 17 and 18. I swear that the only thing that goes through those young men's minds day after day, week after week, is their sports, girls and their SAT scores; not always in that order. Both were impressed and both enjoyed them as did I, who am well into my dotage. My daughter will be starting her 20th year of teaching first grade and plans to use these in her classroom this coming year.

I dearly hope that there will be more productions to come from Ms. Friedman...she is providing us with a very entertaining and valuable service.


Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let this magical audiobook tell YOU a story!, July 15, 2009

By 

Linda Bulger (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tell Me A Story 3: Women of Wonder (Audio CD)

What could be a better treat than folk tales celebrating the power and creativity of women? In TELL ME A STORY 3: WOMEN OF WONDER, storyteller Amy Friedman interprets six tales from around the world that do just that, and presents them in a CD narrated by international stars.

The stories are enhanced by music from Laura Hall and illustrations by Jillian Gilliland; they are full of magic and strength:

A British merchant challenges his sons and daughter to solve a riddle and win their inheritance, and the daughter's sense of beauty and love take her to the finish post.

From Cambodia comes the tale of a hermit with magical powers who teaches a goddess and an ogre his secrets. Guess which was the better pupil?

An Ethiopian child craving the love of her stepmother needs the whisker of a lioness for a magic love potion. The same gifts that win the trust and love of a lioness can work on a stepmother too!

The compassionate wife of a Turkish pasha intervenes on behalf of a working man cheated by a magistrate. You'll love her simple but effective plan to get justice for the victim.

In a gentle legend from Siberia, the Moon takes human form and falls in love with a reindeer herder's daughter. With the help of a magical reindeer, she eludes capture and stays with the herd.

The boisterous Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind was A-MAZING -- she said so herself, as soon as she was born. She left old Tennessee to explore the Great Frontier, sleeping with hibernating bears and rescuing Davy Crockett with a rattlesnake lasso.

This is the third audiobook from Amy Friedman, based on her popular syndicated newspaper series "Tell Me A Story." Charming as the others are (Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales from Around the World, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic) I think this is the best one yet. Get this CD--get it for your daughters, for your sons; give them some unforgettable folk heroines. Get it for yourself. Be prepared to set aside whatever you're doing as you are carried away into the magical world of WOMEN OF WONDER. Pure delight. Amy Friedman, we want more!

This CD is going to my six-year-old granddaughter in Australia, a "Sally Ann Thunder Ann" kind of girl who'd love to come to Maine and meet some bears for herself.

Linda Bulger, 2009

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect For Any Family Gathering!, August 10, 2009

By 

Nancy K. Wallace "Children's Librarian" (Ellwood City, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tell Me A Story 3: Women of Wonder (Audio CD)

Amy Friedman's award winning team serves up another wholesome portion of "Tell Me a Story!" Women of Wonder, Tell Me a Story 3, presents a delightful assortment of world folktales from America, Britain, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Siberia, featuring expert women storytellers. Laura Hall's original musical compositions provide the perfect counterpoint. These tales contain fresh, new material: A daughter fills her father's house with music, joy and life fulfilling the terms of his will; an Ethiopian grandmother helps her granddaughter learn to cope with her mother's death and her father's remarriage. In the "Reindeer Maiden," a girl cleverly outwits the moon and dictates his phases to serve her people forever. Each story features women and girls who handle problems with perception and ingenuity. Each storyteller is well-matched to the tale she tells and Amy has continued the charming practice of having each selection introduced by small children.
The Tell Me a Story CDs are like popcorn - one helping is never enough! A perfect collection for Public Libraries or individuals, these CDs will provide hours of entertainment for fun family gatherings, long summer car trips or cozy winter evenings. Listening to stories told aloud captures the imagination, enabling children to visualize the characters and settings, and sharpens their listening skills. Kudos to Amy for her determination to preserve this oral tradition!