NPR Driveway Moments: All About Animals: Radio Stories That Won't Let You Go

NPR Driveway Moments

by National Public Radio, Steve Inskeep

What's a "driveway moment"? It's when you're so captivated by a story you're hearing on NPR that you stay in your car to hear it to the end--even if you're sitting in your driveway with the motor running. For years, listeners have written to NPR to describe such moments. Now animal lovers especially will want to make sure their tanks are full. Heard on "All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation," and "Wait WaitaDon't Tell Me!," hosted by "Morning Edition"'s Steve Inskeep, these stories will make you laugh out loud and shed a tear or two.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Animals, Short Stories, Humor

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jaimee]

Maybe skip this one if you’ve recently had your dog put to sleep. If you’re into ugly-crying, though, go right ahead.

[Kenneth]

Cute stories, but I would not say that these stories stood out that much.

[Mary Keen]

Every adjective describes this short, wonderful collection of true radio stories.

I hope to read the other/others too --think one is just re dogs.

Audio overdrive@ 1.15 speed

[Just Janet]

NPR Driveway Moments: All About Animals was okay. I loved and was humored by only one story about the dog who loved to suck on toads. All of the other stories were forgettable and the other npr programs were unnecessary.

[Dale]

My daughters and I give it 5 stars

Published in 2007 by HighBridge Company
Multicast performance
Duration: approximately 1.5 hours

NPR has a series of audiobooks published through HighBridge Company called Driveway Moments with the added thought that these are "radio stories that won't let you go." These are designed to be the types of stories that you sit in the car in your driveway and continue to listen to after you've arrived home.

In this collection the stories are about animals. We've got cats, dogs, raising baby hummingbirds and letting them go (it brings a tear to the eye), a giant turtle in Vietnam, a drive through pig semen store, a parrot that talks with the voice of the storyteller's deceased mother's voice and a farm for retired racehorses. There is also a long story about how pets made it through the chaos of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. This is a tough story with lots of sad stories and great stories of re-uniting people and their animals.

The collection ends with a touching tribute by frequent NPR contributor Daniel Pinkwater to his recently deceased dog. It is so touching that I have gotten a catch in my throat both times I have tried to describe it to my wife.

I listened to this collection with my two daughters (3rd and 9th grade) and it generated a pretty good discussion over the Hurricane Katrina story. The pig semen story went over the little one's head and the last story by Daniel Pinkerton touched us all.

The audio quality is very good since these stories were all broadcast over NPR. My kids did not appreciate NPR's offbeat musical interludes between stories but all three of us rated this collection 5 stars out of 5.

Read all of my reviews about audiobooks from NPR here: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...

[Olivia Thames]

The equivalent of a blink compared to other audiobooks, National Public Radio's "NPR Driveway Moments All About Animals: Radio Stories That Won't Let You Go" is for any pet or animal lover looking for stories of hope, humor, and reassurance.

While it was not one of the best audiobooks I have experienced this year, it did move me to chuckle and at times cry. We have all loved and lost an amazing animal friend in our lives, and this audiobook does well to remind us of the universal experience of learning from our four-legged friends and how they add so much to our lives.

If your own 'fur baby' requires a walk, go ahead and download the audiobook to listen to while on that walk. If you leave the radio or TV on for your pet when you leave for the day, leave this collection of anecdotes for them to listen to.

[Dave Lum]

This is really wonderful. I could listen to it again.

It's not really a book. It's "just" a collection of NPR segments that had something to do with animals, but it was really a great time.
My favorite was the story of a mother's talking parrot inherited by her daughter. It relates how the much the mother loved the parrot, and how her daughter came to love the parrot, and the memories that came with it.

I only wish it had been longer.

[Rebecca]

I’m confused why others’ reviews of other recordings in the Driveway Moments series are appearing under this “All About Animals” title. Goodreads shouldn’t be smushing all the Driveway Moments together!? The animal stories were amusing & touching; some made me cry (e.g. Katrina reporting; saying goodbye); some made me cringe, thinking about boars/sows/hogs being reproduced & what they experience & what they’re being raised for. Dogs, cats, birds, horses...

[Christina]

I apparently listened to this back in 2014, but had no memory of it--at least not while listening to the first disc, which I really enjoyed this time. Enough so that I bumped my rating from 3 to 4. The second disk was a bit familiar, and not as strong for me. But this was still worth listening to again.

[Jim]

A much shorter collection of stories than I expected, though delightful every one for the most part, some silly and funny, others delving into the very personal and occasionally heartrending relationships we have with animals, particularly pets. All told in the general style of NPR, which I enjoy very much. Well worth a few minutes of your time.

[Courtenay]

If you like animals and like to laugh and cry and sigh, this is the perfect book for you. We listened on a road trip to FL State Parks. We needed something fast and entertaining. This fit the bill. Steve Inskeep kept the stories flowing. He was the perfect ringleader for this circus of birds, dogs, cats, and more!

[Relyn]

Obviously, it has been an NPR day for me. I have listened for hours. NPR is almost always wonderful and these stories were of the same caliber. I guess I just don't love animal stories. Well, at least not as much as I love other NPR stories.

[Miss Kelly]

Loved this BOCD of short stories about various animals and their lives with their owners. There is a story about a dog that licks frogs to get high. A farmer who sells boar semen through a drive up window. Definitely worth a listen to.

[Maggie]

just a bunch of touchy feeling good moments...it's what you would expect in the npr style of journalism. good.

[Isaac]

Technically this is an audiobook. But I like to listen to stuff in the car on the way to work etc.

[Alana]

Stories broadcast on NPR.
Heartwarming- made me cry.

[Kathryn]

This had some really sweet stories for any animal lover. Beware: more than one made me cry.

[Katie]

Quick cute anecdotes about animals... though the first one made me not sure what the rest we going to be like!

[Alesia]

awe loved these animal stories!

[Judy]

Some interesting and touching vignettes about pets. Listened to the CDs on a roadtrip.

[Stacie]

Cute animal stories.

[Anna]

Short and sweet. Enjoyable but at times heart breaking

[Jeanne]

Great stories, interesting, surprising, and heartwarming.

[Jackie]

Fun, sometimes sad, quick read! I enjoyed it. But it is short - good for a commute, but less so for long trips.

[Kimberly]

Some sad, (Hurricane Katrina story ....) some funny, all great and entertaining!

[JoNel]

I laughed, I cried, the stories were great.

[Kelly Whitt]

Nice but brief. Fun to listen to while painting. Bull sperm drive-thru story was pretty funny. Wish the last one wasn’t the sad one. Would have liked to end on something more uplifting.

[Kim]

I'm an NPR listener and an animal lover, so it's no surprise that I really liked this audio collection.

[Lori]

Nice little collection of stories.

[Hi]

A repeat of some of the driveway dog stories, but fairly entertaining to listen to