Showing results by narrator "Kevin Connolly" in All Categories

When a boy brings his pterodactyl to school for show-and-tell, hilarious havoc ensues. The dinosaur's delightfully demented antics, the kids' expressions as they try to avoid the hungry pterodactyl, and the out-of-control imagination of the boy yield a wild and wacky romp.

“Honesty is the best policy.” That's Frank's motto. But Frank's overly frank comments tend to annoy his friends and teachers. Not even his own mother is all that fond of Frank's “tell all” attitude. So Frank turns to his grandpa for help. “Everyone is mad at me for being frank. I'm not sure honesty is the best policy anymore.” “That used to happen to me, too,” said Grandpa Ernest. A few outrageous hats, a spicy jar of relish, and some grandfatherly wisdom help Frank realize that truth is best served with more sugar and less pepper.

If you build a perfect castle, a dragon will move in - and that's exactly what happens to one very lucky boy when his family gears up for some changes. The boy and his dragon bounce in their castle, duel with delight, and have an amazing time together...until they find out that their castle is a crib for a new baby. Huh? As soon as they get used to the news, the boy and dragon are back in roaring form, entertaining the infant with marching music, aerial acrobatics, and baby-bottle bowling. But merriment turns to mischief and mischief leads to consequences.

If you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. And that's exactly what happens to one very lucky boy at the beach. Dad is busy sunbathing, and Mom is busy with her book, so the boy and dragon roam the beach together, flying a kite, braving the waves, and roasting marshmallows. But no one believes him when he shares the news of his magnificent dragon: Mom only hears the roar of the ocean, Dad thinks the dragon feather is a seagull feather, and know-it-all sis claims there's no such thing as a dragon.

Early in August 1937, a news flash came: A sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear.

Solid wax is somehow changed into light and heat. But how? Travel back in time to December 28, 1848 in London, England to one of the most famous juvenile science Christmas lectures at the Royal Institution. British scientist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) encouraged kids to carefully observe a candle and to try to figure out how it burned. Known as one of the best science experimenters ever, Faraday’s passion was always to answer the basic questions of science: “What is the cause? Why does it occur?”

US Marines Capt. Kramer and his dog Sgt. Shadow survive hell in Afghanistan - but worse awaits them back home. You Can Run is not your average crime thriller. Full of crime, absolutely! A thrilling ride, most definitely! But Greg Smith takes it up a couple of notches, pulls you, the listener, into a dangerous, action-packed FBI operation. You enter the world of 2 US Marines who offer their services to bring down a diabolical kingpin.

As he leaves his small, Midwestern town behind and heads off to marine boot camp, young farm boy Kramer hopes his new life will dull the recent loss of his dearest friend. Years later, battle hardened and war weary, Captain Kramer rescues a pup at the scene of a horrific car bombing while deployed to Afghanistan, and a new friendship is born. Months later Kramer and his new friend, Shadow, are back home in California, recuperating from serious injuries received in a deadly ambush by the Taliban.

This short tale about a man's desire to live a different kind of life unfolds during a single day. At the crack of dawn the ferryman opens his eyes to find an impatient businessman nudging him with his foot. The businessman demands they cross the river. Immediately. Right this second. Not a minute to spare.

Double take: a rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance has not been completely grasped at first. Kevin Michael Connolly is a 23-year-old man who has seen the world in a way most of us never will. Whether swarmed by Japanese tourists at Epcot Center as a child or holding court at the X Games on his mono-ski, Kevin Connolly has been an object of curiosity since the day he was born without legs.

In a conversation with his toddler granddaughter Lucy, Grandfather explains the origin of each of the “crinkles” on his “crunchy” face: “Every time I smiled an extra big smile, I got a wrinkle to show for it.”

J. J. Jax has been tormenting an overweight boy named Patrick, calling him Pig-Pen and Porky, to the point that Patrick is now afraid to go to school. Learning of his son's behavior, J. J.'s father lectures him to stop bullying Patrick. When that approach fails, Mr. Jax tries another tack and shares an experience he had as a youthful bully and the consequences he recently faced as a result of his actions.

Maya was grumpy. She didn't know why she was grumpy. She was just in a crispy, cranky, grumpy, grouchy mood. She didn't want to read or color or eat banana slices or wear her favorite shorts or go outside and play. So she GRUMPED, GLUMPED, CLUMPED, and THUMPED around the house. Can Grandma's patience and humor coax Maya out of her bad mood?

Eleven-year-old, Lizzie is minding the family antique store while her grandpa naps on a spindly sofa. When Mrs. Larchmont and her poodle, Giselle, enter and begin their buying spree, they refuse to leave without bargaining for the one antique not for sale...Grandpa!

Nothing is as fun as snow. At least that's what one little boy thinks. But while he stares up at the sky, he misses all the excitement down on the street. There goes a fire engine and a monster truck! And are those monkeys!?

In this wondrous story, two children explore the caves and coves of the tiny and oddly-named Giant Island. They are thrilled to discover that the island is, in fact, a submerged giant.

When Emmy accidentally spills juice on her dad's pants, she takes refuge behind Mom's knee. Expecting a reprimand, Emmy is surprised when Mom tells Dad, “Now, sweetheart, you should let it be. After all...she's only three.” What an amazing discovery! She's too young to be punished!

Cats. You either love 'em or hate 'em. But what happens when Mom loves cats and Dad detests them? In That Cat Can't Stay, Mom keeps adopting stray cats while Dad's objections get more and more absurd: “Mom found a little calico. / Dad said, That thing has got to go. There's no use begging. Don't say please. / I don't like cats. They scratch my knees. They carry fleas. They make me sneeze. / They're always getting stuck in trees. I want it gone. Send it away. / I'm telling you, that cat can't stay.”

What do you get when you put together the coolest kid in class, an unpredictable live-in grandmother, and a caring but anxious grandson? Disaster? No. You get to know Ruben Plotnick. David is worried about how zany Ruben Plotnick will react when he meets Grandma Rosie, who often says and does unexpected things. Will Ruben make fun of her to their classmates? Will he imitate her whispery voice? What will he do if Grandma Rosie suddenly wants to dance?

Despite some silly, sleepy mistakes, genteel Jackson finds a fun and quiet activity for each of his noisy neighbors. He finally gets a great night's sleep–and discovers three new friends in the morning.