I’ve been listening to a lot of these children’s audiobooks in my classroom throughout the day. My students love it and it’s a good way to get “reading time” in when we were virtual teaching! My students really enjoyed this one and it sparked many conversations

Really excellent audiobook. We listened to it together and really enjoyed it. Definitely reminded me a little of Alice in wonderland and a bit like The hobbit, but geared towards a younger reader. Lots of fun

I did not care for this book. It was an okay book, but it felt more like the plot of the first Trolls movie or the first Smurfs movie. It was just very simple in its plot. If I were to recommend the book, I'd be more likely to recommend it to a 2nd grader than any grade above that because there's just not a lot to the plot.

The narrator and narration were good, however. I did like that there were sound effects included in the storytelling.

I listened to this with my 6 (almost 7) year old daughter. I have tried to do audiobooks with her before but she just never seemed to care. I think it is a combination of things that got her so interested this time.
She now can read herself, she was trapped in the car when we read most of it, and her interest in books has increased. I can't give this book a full review without talking in terms of we, because a lot of this was an interaction with my daughter.

We loved this book. The narrator did a wonderful job with the character voices, making each one unique and specific. The story was engaging and kept us on our toes. The adventure wasn't so much that it got confusing or too much for my daughter. She was captivated. She specifically said she loved the added sound effects.

With Sarah moving from New York to Connecticut, she has the chance to explore her new home and the yard surrounding, something new for her. But after finding an old garden gnome, her time there changes in ways she would never have believed. She meets, trolls, a devious elf, and is able to help save the day, all at the sweet age of eleven.

If this is supposed to be a play on Alice in Wonderland, I will take this every time. We truly enjoyed it at our house, and it has ignited something in my daughter. For that, this gets 5 stars. Any book that can make my own child ask multiple times a day if we can listen to it, ("Mom, can we listen to the gnome book?") is a winner in my book- no pun intended.

A cute, fun children's story in an adorable setting. It has great characters, good writing and a very fun adventure. This is a great story for kids. I loved the audiobook, since the narrator truly made the story come to life and gave each character a unique personality.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really cute little story reminded me of alice in wonderland and maybe the secret garden, would be really cute with illustrations

This was such a fun and quirky read! It reminded me of the movie Spirited Away where a young girl is moving and all of the items that comes with it. Adventure. Fun. New people. And finding out who you really are.

I received a complimentary digital and temporary audiobook copy of "The One Great Gnome" direct from the publisher One Elm Books (an imprint of Red Chair Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

About the audiobook:

How the story sounded to me as it was being Read: (theatrical or narrative)

I liked how Ms Stevens approached narrating this story from different perspectives - wherein she had distinct voices attached to different characters but she had a mainstay voice for the narration as well when she was narrating betwixt and between characters or dialogue. I felt it was theatrical in how she conveyed the story - she put empathsis on certain words that needed an extra shine of light on them and she performed through the words themselves, which I always love to find in audiobooks!

Regards to Articulation & Performance of the story:

Articulation:

Ms Stevens had wonderful articulation throughout the story - the only thing I felt was a bit off though was the author's preferences for how Sarah referred to her Dad; in some sentences he was 'Dad' and in others 'father' but sometimes within the same paragraph it switched back and forth which didn't feel quite as natural as I think the author was trying to have it sound. Usually those of us who called our fathers' Dad would keep with that term rather than suddenly shift between 'Dad' and 'father' simultaneously.

Performance:

You're drawn into Ms Steven's narration because of how she's found the right balance between the innocence of Sarah's view on the world and the larger expanse of how her life intersects with the lives of the gnomes. I especially enjoyed how Ms Steven's performed through the narration, gave further depth to both the characters and this world by how she build the characters through how she voiced them as much as how she used specific sound effects to make this world feel familiar. Those sound effects were inserted in just the right way and at just the right times, too.

Notes on the Quality of Sound & the Background Ambiance:

When Smokey the cat was heard 'meowing' was an unexpected treat! Not all narrators add-in sound effects to the stories their narrating and hearing that meow was very well timed! It felt natural to hear Smokey say something too. The squeaking door of the potting shed gave a bit of atmosphere to where Sarah was adventuring in her own yard. There were a lot more sound effects throughout the duration of the story which I felt added to the experience of listening to the story. It became very interactive and I loved the choices which were made about which sounds to highlight and when they were inserted.

In closing, would I seek out another Simone Stevens audiobook?

I definitely appreciated getting to meet Ms Stevens through this audiobook! She is a natural at multi-character stories and she makes each character stand out by themselves to gain your full attention. The sound effects were a special treat for this production, as not all audiobooks have those in their chapters and I felt they were used at just the right intervals to make the story remain believable. I would love to see what else she has narrated - either in this genre or in others as I think she's a natural talent.

About "The One Great Gnome" the book:

What staid with me though is how Dinardo threaded this entire story by the first discoveries and observations Sarah made on the grounds of the farmhouse. Those initial finds and the curiosities they encouraged out of Sarah is what truly knits the story together. You have to pay close attention at the beginning in order to gain the most out of the ending. I felt it was a very well told story from that perspective because of how it encourages younger readers to listen harder to the stories their hearing in audiobook but also to be full of the wonderment of escaping into a fantasy world wherein gnomes, sprites, trolls and elves all exist concurrent to our own living world.

I loved how immersive this story became the more you dive deeper into the gnome world! Dinardo keep everything on a level of enjoyment for younger readers - you get to see this world through Sarah's POV which in of itself is a wonderment of joy and innocence; where she's eager to take an adventure into a world she hadn't expected to be visiting. It gives such a warm introduction to Fantasy if this is the reader's first entry into reading Fantasy stories as it allows younger readers to feel as if they are tagging along with Sarah; seeing what she sees and experiencing this world with the same sensibility she has herself.

Dinardo keeps the fantastical approachable in this story - he makes the whole world come to life for the reader and the listener, alike. The narrator was a fantastic choice because of how she undertook the ability to not just give voice to the characters but to bring each of those characters straight to life by how she voiced them and gave them depth by how she performed through the narration of those characters. I felt her narration was a strong compliment to how Dinardo wrote this story and how the story could feel to the listener.

He also kept the Fantasy elements on the softer side of the ledger, where if this was only your first or second entry into Fantasy, you wouldn't feel too overwhelmed. And, for those who are more experienced at reading Fantasy, I think you would feel entertained just to take the Quest with the characters and see how this world opened itself up to those who wander in search of the truth.

This is definitely a great primer for Portal Fantasy and Urban Fantasy - as when Vesper first meets Sarah, it has elements of an Urban Fantasy where the fantastical intersect and interact with us in our world. I even liked the fuller backstory about the OGG - his origins and how he became he most important person in the gnome world itself. Without spoiling anything - I found that an interesting twist of story and I thoroughly enjoyed the revelation as I hadn't quite connected the same dots myself as I was too wrapped up in Vester and Sarah's Quest.

I requested an ARC of this audiobook from Netgalley and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Lately, I've been rediscovering the joy of reading children's and YA books again after ages. This story of 11 year old Sarah is such a sweet tale of magic. It has hidden doors, elves, trolls and of course, gnomes. Sarah's adventure was so much fun with a clean message to kids to be brave, kind and generous.

I listened to this book on audio and the narration was simply superb. The narrator did voices for all the characters and there were background sounds for doors closing, elves belching etc. It was hilarious and such a wholesome listening experience. I'd reckon that kids would really enjoy this story if they've liked the adventures of Alice and older kids or teens if they've enjoyed the magical world of Harry Potter (the first book where they're all young kids) :-)

I heartily recommend this story to one and all irrespective of age - and if possible to try it on audio.

Review of The One Great Gnome by Jeff Dinardo, Audio Version

This is a lovely children's story about Sarah, who is 11 years old and just moved to the rural country from the big city. She finds an old garden gnome who comes to life, this is the tale of how she is drawn into the secret world of elves and gnomes and their adventures. I had the audio version, this was well read and easy to listen to. My 6year old thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story and I would recommend it.

"The One Great Gnome" follows the story of Sarah, an 11-year-old girl, who just moved from New York to a rural town in Connecticut. During this time of change, she meets a gnome and decides to help him save his parents and the rest of the gnomes. This mission is filled with adventures and lessons to be learned.

This was such a cute read. The story was very entertaining and the characters were all lovely!
I definitely think that middle-grade readers will find this book really exciting and accessible, especially the audio version. The narrator was amazing and I loved how she changed her tone to voice the different character (I can see how children would love that!).

The beginning was (in my opinion) kind of slow, but the chapters in the middle and end of the book make up for it!

11-year old Sarah is a city girl and loves her life in New York. When her parents move to a rural area to fulfill their dreams of a rustic life in the country, Sarah is a good sport and decides to make the nest of it. On her first day in her new home, she discovers a garden gnome and embarks on an Alice-in-Wonderland-like adventure full of mythical creatures. This book is a quick and fun middle-grade read.

Thanks to One Elm Books, and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this title.

The beginning of this book is very slow and rather droll. Since it is meant to be listened to, this does not help to engage the person listening and kids have short attention spans at the best of times.

It does have all the things a kids' book should have, a bit of adventure, fairies, gnomes, and other mythical critters.

I would offer one critique that chapters 1-3 could use a bit of tidying up and shortening since they really do not hold anyone's attention.

On the bright side the story does pick up after Chapter 5, however, it simply was too far into the book to get the kids' attention back on the story.

The person narrating the story did a fabulous job and made the story move along nicely. And the author did a wonderful job on character creation, world-building and the story itself.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy. Sarah and her family have moved to a new home. When she is out exploring the potting shed she finds a gnome. He comes to life and Sarah follows him on a adventure filled with gnomes, trolls and sprites. Absolutely delightful story.

I received this book in audiobook format thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn't love the trope of opening a door to another world or universe? Well I know I do! Such a fun narration that flowed really well both pace-wise and plot-wise.
I really enjoyed the characters and the overarching atmosphere of the story.

A middle grade featuring family and friendship at its core with a strong girl protagonist! More of this please!

I didn't enjoy the book as much as I'd hoped. The narration was too sugary and very slow. There were some great characters but overall it was not really for me.

An adventurous and wonderful journey of kindness, friendship and new beginnings. The story will grip you from the beginning as the protagonist goes on journey and meets magical creatures , learning the lessons of hope, new beginnings and bravery in the face of adversities. I think this is a great book for children as they'll get adventure and fun all packed in a single book.

One Great Gnome introduces us to 11 year old Sarah. She has moved reluctantly from New York City to rural Connecticut with her parents. The new house and property are intriguing to her, but in desperate need of repairs.
While exploring her new home, Sarah encounters a gnome named Vesper who needs her help.
Sarah is soon caught up on an adventure in a land occupied by elves, trolls, sprites and a mysterious person known as The OGG (The One Great Gnome).

The story is exciting and fun while being accessible for elementary and middle grade age children. Sarah is smart. funny, and brave. She learns some lessons, and also teaches them as well.

The audio version is narrated by Simone Stevens and she breathes life into every character, giving them each a distinct voice that showcases their personalities.

I received a copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and One Elm Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The One Great Gnome is such a cute little children’s book. It’s quite short and has a magical, whimsical feel. It’s a bit of a classic portal fantasy where our heroine finds a gnome and they go back to his world. I loved the messages of empathy and changing your worldviews that was meshed into the second half of the book.
The audiobook only added to the magic and the narrator’s voices were so fun.
The friendship between Vesper and Sarah is so sweet and of course the OGG is like some little cross between an actually competent Wizard of Oz and a Gandalf. If you’re looking for a cute palette cleanser or a book to read with kids, this will be perfect.

I loved it. I enjoyed it a lot. It was short, it was fun and the narrator did a pretty good job. I hear it has illustrations too but I haven’t seen them because I had the audiobook arc for this. The plot was very short and refreshing and very easy to catch up with. It was like not much thought was given to a very thoughtful story, in a good way though. I mean, I appreciate all authors work and it was just so simple to understand which made it more enjoyable. It wasn’t complicated at all which justifies its middle grade category a lot.
I loved the characters and the way the narrator gave them a different personality with different voices was so very good. It made it a lot easier to understand and very much fun to listen to. I loved the fact how small music was included at some place to give like a door opening noise, bag packing voice, the effect of shock and the most interesting ones were the noises of the swords.
I definitely recommend this work of art. It’s amazing! It deserves a full 5.