dePaola's voice is a phenomenal one. The way he shares his stories is as an old friend reminding you of your own experiences around a summer fire. His stories are amusing and he builds real connection between his family and the audience. ( )

Tomie DePaola's autobiographical stories of his childhood in the late 1930s on Fairmount Avenue are sweet and funny. I'd definitely recommend the series to kids just starting to read chapter books. The audiobook collection is read by the author, which gives it a nice sense of authenticity. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent listening to the adventures of the DePaolas. ( )