Showing results by author "Brian Gleeson" in All Categories

Take a rollicking ride through the Wild, Wild West with the original cowboy, Pecos Bill. Raised by coyotes to brave the great frontier, Pecos rides his wild mustang Widow-Maker and invents the first rough-and-tumble cattle drive. Then he mounts a runaway cyclone like a buckin' bronco to create the Great Salt Lake.

Morgan Freeman narrates this poignant retelling of the Nativity, weaving together the gospels of Matthew and Luke as it follows Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem, culminating in the touching events surrounding the birth of Jesus. An awe-inspiring musical score by The Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, captures all the power and beauty of the very first Christmas.

Here are two hilarious Jamaican folktales about the original story spinner himself, both read by Denzel Washington. Anansi the spider is teeny-teeny, but his boasts are as tall as tales get. In the first story, Anansi takes Tiger's challenge and outwits the prideful snake to win possession of all the stories in the jungle. In the second story, Anansi devises a scheme to appear important at his mother-in-law's funeral but gets caught in his own lies and winds up as bald as a mango.

"I give you assurances," cried the Tiger to the Brahmin. "I shan't eat you if you let me out of the cage." But when the Brahmin makes the mistake of taking the Tiger at his word, he discovers that the dishonest beast intended to eat him all along. In the end, it is the wily jackal who comes to the Brahmin's aid and teaches him a lesson he had never found in his holy books. This clever, absorbing adaptation, written by Brian Gleeson, is read by Ben Kingsley.

Big as a mountain and stronger than a grizzly bear, Paul Bunyan was the greatest lumberjack ever to swagger through the North American forests. All the larger-than-life characters in Paul's supporting cast are here, including Babe the Blue Ox, eating her ton of grain a day, and Hotbiscuit Sally, with her acre-and-a-half griddle. The outrageous adventures of this quintessential American hero represent the very best in the proud tradition of American storytelling.

Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland, but when he discovers that the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, even the great Finn gets a wee bit nervous. But with some ingenious culinary magic on the part of his clever wife, Finn manages to get out of the scrape with his dignity intact. Well, most of it! This rollicking version of a beloved Celtic legend, read by actress Catherine O'Hara, with music by Boys of the Lough, will light up your ears.

In this humorous African folktale, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, Koi wants the villagers to honor him as befits the son of a chief. But unless he can accomplish three impossible tasks, he will end up in the cooking pot instead. His problems begin with a scrawny kola tree, and they end when three unlikely new friends - a snake, an ant and an alligator - save his life and help him find his rightful place in the world.

This is the touching story of Joseph, who is sold into slavery by his brothers yet later forgives their betrayal by saving them from famine. This is a rich and colorful odyssey about forgiveness and family love, read by actor Ruben Blades with original music by Strunz & Farah, whose mesmerizing rhythms of the Middle East provide the perfect musical backdrop for this story. For ages six and up.