The prince and the pauper

With his legendary humor and delightful wit, Reiner gives new life to this classic Twain tale. The multiple Emmy Award winner and recent Television Hall of Fame inductee beautifully shifts between several accents, dialects and moods, letting listeners commiserate with the author's young protagonist, Tom Canty. Raised in a raucous family of beggars and thieves, Tom dreams and reads of princely life to escape his miserable 16th-century London existence. After wandering to Westminster and meeting benevolent Prince Edward Tudor (who bears an uncanny resemblance to the ragamuffin Tom), the pair exchange clothes and unwittingly identities. Reiner's vocal performance of this heartwarming story is sure to keep the entire family entranced. Listeners will be pleased that this volume is only one of several in a Mark Twain series read by Reiner. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 4-6‘Carl Reiner narrates this abridged version of The Prince and the Pauper. It captures the main plot points of the book and retains the rollicking humor of Twain's writing. The story concerns Tom Canty, a poor boy, who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward, heir to the throne of England. Through a series of mishaps, the boys change places, and those around them do not believe them when they each claim to be the other boy. Eventually, all ends well, with Edward restored to the throne and Tom retaining a place in his court. Reiner's narration is, at first, a big jarring, since an American accent telling a very British story is unexpected. However, once the story develops, listeners will quickly become engrossed. Various sound effects, such as trumpet fanfares, give the story some color. Overall, this is an entertaining choice for most public libraries.-Melissa Hudak, Roscoe Branch Library, Loves Park, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

These adaptations are so poor that it is a disgrace for the original author's name to appear on the book; the old classic comic-book renditions had more integrity. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.