The Treebobs and the Runaway Cauldron (Audio Book) Review

Think of it as a bedtime story that reads itself…..

Audio books are not something we’ve used a lot in our family of seven, mainly because the whole snuggling up for a bedtime story is a treasured part of our routine. That being said, they are definitely a tool that has its place. In a world where nearly everyone and everything is electronically connected, it is easy to think of places where they are a valuable alternative to video games or the radio. So, as I gathered the three youngest around for their invaluable kid insight (ages 4, 6, and 8), we talked a bit about where we would use them. From listening to a story while playing legos, to having a listen before falling asleep, to listening as a family on a road trip, the kids thought of tons of places where they’d love to listen.

Of course, not all audio books are created the same, so the quality of the book is just as important as the format (in this case, an mp3). The Treebobs and the Runaway Cauldron runs just under a half an hour, and I am happy to report the six and eight year olds sat spellbound through the whole thing, and even the tween and teen got a kick out of the silly voices and British narrator. The four year old sadly didn’t have the attention span to sit that long when there weren’t any pictures to look at (in fact, she was quite confused about why there was no pictures), and so only listened for a short time. Overall though, the story was a hit with the kids.

As the name suggests, The Treebobs and the Runaway Cauldron involves a witch and her cauldron. Rotten Rena is the forest’s resident witch, and she actually isn’t all that good at being rotten. Her mother, being quite upset about her lack of true wickedness, signs her up to enter the Egg and Cauldron Race, an annual witch’s competition where witches must enchant a cauldron to carry a dragon egg across the finish line, and run themselves as well. The winner of the race will get Rena’s place as wicked witch of the forest, and her home as well. The race is fast approaching, and poor Rena is unprepared to face a bunch of witches who have been training for months just for this race.

It wouldn’t be a Treebobs story without some Treebobs and fairies. If you are unfamiliar with the Treebobs, this story won’t actually explain them to you. They are just mentioned in the story as if you already know that they are elves who have been rescued by the forest fairies. That bothered me a little, but the kids didn’t notice at all, so it apparently wasn’t a big deal for them. The Treebobs and the fairies, while not all that fond of Rena, understand that having a marginally wicked witch is preferable to a really wicked one, so they resolve to help Rena win the race and defeat Grotty Grelda, the wickedest witch of all.

In an audio book, the narrator is everything – particularly in a children’s book. If the book isn’t read in an animated and fun way, the kids will simply tune out. As I mentioned earlier, the narrator had a British accent, which for some reason, my kids thought was super cool. Each of the characters had their own silly voices, and wicked laughs and silly sound effects abounded throughout the story. In fact, when I asked my kids what their favorite parts of the story were, the “funny voices” got top spot for all of them.

The Treebobs and the Runaway Cauldron is a fun audio book for kids that combines an engaging story with silly sound effects to keep kids entertained. It was a big hit in our household, particularly for the six and eight year olds, but everyone enjoyed listening. If you’re looking to foster a love of reading and storytelling in your kids, consider putting on a story when they’re playing quietly. They’ll love it.