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The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection
Listening length: Approximately 1 hour; read by the author
Four of beloved author Neil Gaiman's delightfully scary, strange, and hilarious children's tales read by the author, now available unabridged. This collection includes:
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: An unforgettable story that will take readers on a journey into the murky mind of a young boy and the perils of striking a bargain.
The Wolves in the Walls: Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of their house -- and, as everybody says, if the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over. Her family doesn't believe her. Then one day, the wolves come out.
Cinnamon: This charming fable of an exotic princess who refuses to speak currently exists only on Neil's official website and has never been published in print or any other format.
Crazy Hair: Bonnie tries to comb the narrator's crazy hair -- where gorillas leap and tigers stalk -- and is in for a surprise in this delightful rhyming tale.
Four of beloved author Neil Gaiman's delightfully scary, strange, and hilarious children's tales read by the author, now available unabridged. This collection includes:
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: An unforgettable story that will take readers on a journey into the murky mind of a young boy and the perils of striking a bargain.
The Wolves in the Walls: Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of their house -- and, as everybody says, if the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over. Her family doesn't believe her. Then one day, the wolves come out.
Cinnamon: This charming fable of an exotic princess who refuses to speak currently exists only on Neil's official website and has never been published in print or any other format.
Crazy Hair: Bonnie tries to comb the narrator's crazy hair -- where gorillas leap and tigers stalk -- and is in for a surprise in this delightful rhyming tale.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2004
17 people are currently reading
897 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
December 22, 2016
I enjoy anything by Neil Gaiman. I saw this audio and knew I had to grab it. It's four short stories narrated by Gaiman himself. It's very short, perhaps 45 mins in total of listening time. I listened to this while sitting in holiday traffic in my car. What a wonderful way to escape the mayhem by listening to Gaiman read his works! A wonderful, quick, audio listen.
June 7, 2017
Delightful!
Such imagination! I swear, these stories seem to have come straight from a seven year old's daydream. Imaginative, funny, clever and more than a little silly.
Such imagination! I swear, these stories seem to have come straight from a seven year old's daydream. Imaginative, funny, clever and more than a little silly.
December 28, 2022
✩ 4 stars - Wolves in the Walls
✩ 3.5 stars - Cinnamon
✩ 3.5/4 stars - The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
✩ 4 stars - Crazy Hair
✩ 3.5 stars - Cinnamon
✩ 3.5/4 stars - The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
✩ 4 stars - Crazy Hair
January 2, 2018
Some charming children's tales narrated by Neil Gaiman followed by an interview chat between Gaiman and one of his children.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
February 21, 2020
אז זה היה חמוד.
חלק סיפורים היו טובים יותר (זאבים בקירות)
וחלק פחות (קינמון)
אבל אחלה בסך הכול.
או בסך הקול, כי ההקראה של ניל גיימן שווה לבד כוכב שלם.
חלק סיפורים היו טובים יותר (זאבים בקירות)
וחלק פחות (קינמון)
אבל אחלה בסך הכול.
או בסך הקול, כי ההקראה של ניל גיימן שווה לבד כוכב שלם.
November 15, 2015
The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish
*3 stars*
The unnamed narrator, who is only a child, finds himself in a world of trouble when he trades his dad to his friend Nathan for two goldfish. They were marvelous goldfish, and his dad was wasn't very exciting anyways, but his mother took issue and sent him off to get his dad back. Once he gets to Nathan’s house he finds that Nathan also thought his dad uninteresting and didn't actually have him anymore because he had been traded to another friend for an electric guitar. The pattern continued.
A very odd story at face-value but is essentially a sententious story of the hazards of trading and I suppose a lesson in ownership. Will children be able to understand this? I suppose it depends on the age but if it was one of my children reading this, my guess would be their brains would quickly begin to concoct ways on how they could trade me for some goldfish.
The Wolves in the Walls
*3 stars*
When Lucy started hearing noises in the walls that hustled and bustled, crinkled and crackled and knew that there were most certainly wolves inside the walls. Her mother tried to silence her fears by telling her it was more than likely just mice because it certainly couldn’t be wolves because once the wolves come out, it’s all over. But Lucy knew it couldn't possibly be mice.
Once the wolves come out it’s up to Lucy to save her family. ‘The Wolves in the Walls’ is a tale I believe kids would identify with because of the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ nature of it all and the adults dismissal of her beliefs as simply a case of an overactive imagination. Despite the obvious embellishments to enhance the entertainment of the story I found this to be a cute lesson for kids on learning how to trust your instincts and face your fears.
Cinnamon
*4 stars*
Cinnamon was a princess and was not only blind but did not speak. Her father’s concern increases until he offers many riches to anyone who could get his daughter to finally speak. Many come and many fail but when a man-eating tiger arrives at the palace no one believes he would be of any help to Cinnamon, other than a help to his appetite.
The night the tiger had with Cinnamon was spent telling her of the land outside of the palace and inevitably spurred her interest and curiosity. Rich in symbolism yet simple in scope, Cinnamon is a perfect lesson in seeing past riches, experiencing new things and finding the true value of life itself.
Crazy Hair
*3 stars*
Bonnie’s encounters a stranger that has hair that is so incredibly crazy that there is a honest-to-goodness jungle inside of it. Bonnie insists that it’s definitely manageable and just needs a good brushing. As she begins to brush, something entirely unexpected occurs.
Neil Gaiman clearly wrote this story about himself. Crazy Hair is a bizarre imagining of what takes place within hair that is crazy and beyond control. The rhyming rhythm puts a smile on your face and would likely be a fantastic read-aloud to any child.
All four of these stories were the whimsical sort of tales full of symbolism and life lessons that I've come to expect from Gaiman. I enjoyed Crazy Hair the most because of the wonderful rhyming style but Cinnamon was the best overall for it’s fantastic message. Would love to check all of these out someday to be able to appreciate the artwork of Dave McKean.
*3 stars*
The unnamed narrator, who is only a child, finds himself in a world of trouble when he trades his dad to his friend Nathan for two goldfish. They were marvelous goldfish, and his dad was wasn't very exciting anyways, but his mother took issue and sent him off to get his dad back. Once he gets to Nathan’s house he finds that Nathan also thought his dad uninteresting and didn't actually have him anymore because he had been traded to another friend for an electric guitar. The pattern continued.
A very odd story at face-value but is essentially a sententious story of the hazards of trading and I suppose a lesson in ownership. Will children be able to understand this? I suppose it depends on the age but if it was one of my children reading this, my guess would be their brains would quickly begin to concoct ways on how they could trade me for some goldfish.
The Wolves in the Walls
*3 stars*
When Lucy started hearing noises in the walls that hustled and bustled, crinkled and crackled and knew that there were most certainly wolves inside the walls. Her mother tried to silence her fears by telling her it was more than likely just mice because it certainly couldn’t be wolves because once the wolves come out, it’s all over. But Lucy knew it couldn't possibly be mice.
Once the wolves come out it’s up to Lucy to save her family. ‘The Wolves in the Walls’ is a tale I believe kids would identify with because of the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ nature of it all and the adults dismissal of her beliefs as simply a case of an overactive imagination. Despite the obvious embellishments to enhance the entertainment of the story I found this to be a cute lesson for kids on learning how to trust your instincts and face your fears.
Cinnamon
*4 stars*
Cinnamon was a princess and was not only blind but did not speak. Her father’s concern increases until he offers many riches to anyone who could get his daughter to finally speak. Many come and many fail but when a man-eating tiger arrives at the palace no one believes he would be of any help to Cinnamon, other than a help to his appetite.
The night the tiger had with Cinnamon was spent telling her of the land outside of the palace and inevitably spurred her interest and curiosity. Rich in symbolism yet simple in scope, Cinnamon is a perfect lesson in seeing past riches, experiencing new things and finding the true value of life itself.
Crazy Hair
*3 stars*
Bonnie’s encounters a stranger that has hair that is so incredibly crazy that there is a honest-to-goodness jungle inside of it. Bonnie insists that it’s definitely manageable and just needs a good brushing. As she begins to brush, something entirely unexpected occurs.
Neil Gaiman clearly wrote this story about himself. Crazy Hair is a bizarre imagining of what takes place within hair that is crazy and beyond control. The rhyming rhythm puts a smile on your face and would likely be a fantastic read-aloud to any child.
All four of these stories were the whimsical sort of tales full of symbolism and life lessons that I've come to expect from Gaiman. I enjoyed Crazy Hair the most because of the wonderful rhyming style but Cinnamon was the best overall for it’s fantastic message. Would love to check all of these out someday to be able to appreciate the artwork of Dave McKean.
December 16, 2015
AKA: The Neil Gaiman Awesome Last Liner Collection.
I do love Neil Gaiman. To date, I've never read a story of his I haven't liked. These were short, sweet, and fun. I really enjoyed them... but even more, I enjoyed listening to Neil read them. The man's voice is amazing. I'm not sure just what it is about it - the tone? the cadence? the accent? I don't know, but not only does it draw me into his stories and bring them to life as if they were invented inside my own imagination, but his voice actually banishes migraines.
And that is awesome. I'd listen to him read the phone book.
But anyway... About this collection. I really enjoyed all of the stories here. They were all fun, witty, and imaginative stories. The kind designed to make people giggle and think up more adventures, and continue the fun in their head. What else could have been traded down the line for Dad? Or what tricks did people try in order to try to get Cinnamon to talk? Or what else is in that crazy hair? And they all seemed to have a real zinger of a last line. Well, except maybe Crazy Hair, but that whole poem was kind of a zinger, so we'll excuse it's oddness, just this one time.
I enjoyed Neil's interview with his daughter at the end as well. It was very cute and interesting. I love the fact that Neil had wanted to be a writer from such a young age... that kind of passion, coupled with his amazing storytelling talent is a complete win. It makes me happy, because I am sure that he'll keep writing, and I'll keep loving everything he writes. :D
I do love Neil Gaiman. To date, I've never read a story of his I haven't liked. These were short, sweet, and fun. I really enjoyed them... but even more, I enjoyed listening to Neil read them. The man's voice is amazing. I'm not sure just what it is about it - the tone? the cadence? the accent? I don't know, but not only does it draw me into his stories and bring them to life as if they were invented inside my own imagination, but his voice actually banishes migraines.
And that is awesome. I'd listen to him read the phone book.
But anyway... About this collection. I really enjoyed all of the stories here. They were all fun, witty, and imaginative stories. The kind designed to make people giggle and think up more adventures, and continue the fun in their head. What else could have been traded down the line for Dad? Or what tricks did people try in order to try to get Cinnamon to talk? Or what else is in that crazy hair? And they all seemed to have a real zinger of a last line. Well, except maybe Crazy Hair, but that whole poem was kind of a zinger, so we'll excuse it's oddness, just this one time.
I enjoyed Neil's interview with his daughter at the end as well. It was very cute and interesting. I love the fact that Neil had wanted to be a writer from such a young age... that kind of passion, coupled with his amazing storytelling talent is a complete win. It makes me happy, because I am sure that he'll keep writing, and I'll keep loving everything he writes. :D
May 1, 2019
Delightfully charming short stories for kids (and adults!)!
December 20, 2011
This is a nice, short audio collection of some of Gaiman's stories for children. I was somewhat hesitant to give this a listen, as I knew that I'd obviously not have any of Dave McKean's excellent illustrations to accompany the stories. I wasn't sure how they'd carry over to audio only.
I need not have worried. Gaiman does the narrations himself, and he has a true talent for storytelling. They were very enjoyable, and visualization was easy with Gaiman telling it.
A highlight to me is the short interview at the end. It is done by Gaiman's young daughter Maddy, and it's very enlightening and sweet.
I need not have worried. Gaiman does the narrations himself, and he has a true talent for storytelling. They were very enjoyable, and visualization was easy with Gaiman telling it.
A highlight to me is the short interview at the end. It is done by Gaiman's young daughter Maddy, and it's very enlightening and sweet.
August 12, 2016
A delightful collection of kids stories by Neil Gaiman read by himself. He does the voices for different characters adorably & at the end his daughter Maddy interviews him about writing children's books. Only 50 min long~ it's a quaint audiobook to listen to alone or with the separate books as a companion audio guide. I love when authors read aloud their own creations ❤️
April 25, 2020
This is a review of the Audiobook read by Neil Gaiman
Overall Performance: 3.5
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: 3* A very funny story that lacks of originality. It's also very souless and Gaiman's reading didn't help.
The Wolves in the Walls: 3* not what I expected but it is still good. I liked the ending.
Cinnamon: 2* meh... A really original idea that was not well developed. It could have been amazing, but it wasn't. It actually annoys me that the author wasted this great idea writing an extra-short story.
Crazy Hair: 4* a really really funny poem that proves Gaiman's versatility. I smiled the whole time and that's something good to share.
"Hibernating with the bear
Dancing with the dancers there
Happy as a millionaire
Safe inside my Crazy Hair"
Overall Performance: 3.5
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: 3* A very funny story that lacks of originality. It's also very souless and Gaiman's reading didn't help.
The Wolves in the Walls: 3* not what I expected but it is still good. I liked the ending.
Cinnamon: 2* meh... A really original idea that was not well developed. It could have been amazing, but it wasn't. It actually annoys me that the author wasted this great idea writing an extra-short story.
Crazy Hair: 4* a really really funny poem that proves Gaiman's versatility. I smiled the whole time and that's something good to share.
"Hibernating with the bear
Dancing with the dancers there
Happy as a millionaire
Safe inside my Crazy Hair"
August 5, 2020
Neil Gaiman's always been one of the legends for children stories and he still remains that way for me, even now. He's even better than J.K. Rowling in some aspects. I enjoyed this audio. I liked being reminded of what it was like when I was a kid, writing strange stories for no other reason than to act on my urge to write. These stories don't carry any specific lesson or reason. They're just a bit of fun. And that to me is refreshing.
April 7, 2017
My kiddo and I listened to this collection together in the car last week. This was the first we'd heard Cinnamon and Crazy Hair, both of which were enjoyable. He loved listening to Wolves and The day I Swapped my Dad for two Goldfish - both of which are regularly rotated bedtime stories. I highly recommend...for anyone really. You can't really beat Neil Gaiman reading aloud his children's books.
May 27, 2020
Sweet childhood memories with Neil Gaiman flavor
September 11, 2019
My very first audiobook!!!
Listened to this on my commute home and it was quite peculiar. I usually find it hard to pay attention when it comes to audiobooks but Neil Gaiman’s voice just draws you in and keeps you captivated. I really enjoyed his narration style and voice. The 4 short stories were all interesting and unique, I think I enjoyed ‘Wolves in the Wall’ the most. Just because I personally found it entertaining. Overall, it was very imaginative and enjoyable to listen to on my commute home.
Listened to this on my commute home and it was quite peculiar. I usually find it hard to pay attention when it comes to audiobooks but Neil Gaiman’s voice just draws you in and keeps you captivated. I really enjoyed his narration style and voice. The 4 short stories were all interesting and unique, I think I enjoyed ‘Wolves in the Wall’ the most. Just because I personally found it entertaining. Overall, it was very imaginative and enjoyable to listen to on my commute home.
October 1, 2019
Delightful and fun short stories that capture a great imagination and makes me happy. Audio is read by Neil Gaiman, which is a treat, such as sprinkles onto of a non guilt cupcake.
Enjoy
Enjoy
December 3, 2007
A short collection, mostly containing material I've read before (this is some of his children's work). It's a different experience, not having Dave McKean's artwork there, but it does force the brain to pay more attention to the words--which is why I'm not aware that
The Wolves in the Walls
and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish are not just funny, but hilarious.
Also, there's a 6-minute track at the end, Neil Gaiman being interviewed by his daughter. The content is a little light (did you always know you wanted to be a writer; what's your favorite of your books; etc), but it's very sweet to listen to.
Also, there's a 6-minute track at the end, Neil Gaiman being interviewed by his daughter. The content is a little light (did you always know you wanted to be a writer; what's your favorite of your books; etc), but it's very sweet to listen to.
April 4, 2021
First listened to in 2008, repeats as desired. The author's velvety voice adds a lot to the stories. "...Goldfish" is delightfully silly, the way it goes on and on. "Wolves" is so funny, especially what the wolves do once they take over the house. "Cinnamon" is my favourite of this set of stories--it's so wonderfully odd, a little bit dark, some of the phrasings are very poetic, and there's a Kipling element to it--plus, I always like it when there's a tiger.
I've lost track of how many times I've listened to this as a way to power down and fall asleep.
I've lost track of how many times I've listened to this as a way to power down and fall asleep.
November 22, 2020
Four short stories. Entertaining and unique.
1. The Wolves in the Walls
2. Cinnamon
3. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
4. Crazy Hair
1. The Wolves in the Walls
2. Cinnamon
3. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
4. Crazy Hair
July 31, 2021
4/5 Stars (%78/100)
Overall, it was pretty good and super fun to listen to. It is less than an hour long and I did not get bored not even once (despite the aim of the stories being for children). There are 4 stories in the collection and each of them is unique in its own way. I've always loved Gaiman as a storyteller and his voice is perfect for the job.
1-The Wolves in the Walls
The story is about a girl named Lucy who is certain that there are wolves living in their walls. No one believes her including her family until the wolves come out of the walls. This was a really good story to listen to and I actually enjoyed it.
2-Cinnamon
This is one is my favourite story in the collection. Princess Cinamon is a girl who cannot speak and his family hire a bunch of people (creatures) to teach her how to speak. Everything changes when a tiger appears. I don't know why but I felt really drawn into the world of Cinnamon despite its short length.
3-The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
This is the funniest story in the collection. The title is pretty self-explanatory but there is a boy who trades his father to get two goldfish from his friend. When his mother wants the father back, he has to start a journey and make a lot of trades in order to get his father back. The idea behind the story is what makes it super funny. Loved it.
4-Crazy Hair
This is actually a short poem with lots of rhymes but it can be read as a story. The story is about a girl trying to brush the narrator's hair but it is very messy and a lot happens while trying to comb the hair. It was short but fun to listen to.
Overall, it was pretty good and super fun to listen to. It is less than an hour long and I did not get bored not even once (despite the aim of the stories being for children). There are 4 stories in the collection and each of them is unique in its own way. I've always loved Gaiman as a storyteller and his voice is perfect for the job.
1-The Wolves in the Walls
The story is about a girl named Lucy who is certain that there are wolves living in their walls. No one believes her including her family until the wolves come out of the walls. This was a really good story to listen to and I actually enjoyed it.
2-Cinnamon
This is one is my favourite story in the collection. Princess Cinamon is a girl who cannot speak and his family hire a bunch of people (creatures) to teach her how to speak. Everything changes when a tiger appears. I don't know why but I felt really drawn into the world of Cinnamon despite its short length.
3-The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
This is the funniest story in the collection. The title is pretty self-explanatory but there is a boy who trades his father to get two goldfish from his friend. When his mother wants the father back, he has to start a journey and make a lot of trades in order to get his father back. The idea behind the story is what makes it super funny. Loved it.
4-Crazy Hair
This is actually a short poem with lots of rhymes but it can be read as a story. The story is about a girl trying to brush the narrator's hair but it is very messy and a lot happens while trying to comb the hair. It was short but fun to listen to.
December 19, 2019
3.5 stars
This is an audio collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, narrated by himself. I've been wanting to taste his writing for quite sometimes. I've tried Coraline twice & both times I just stopped listen to it. It failed to catch my attention. I need to try it with written form next. So the rating goes like:
1. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: 4 stars
2. The Wolves in the Walls : 3 stars
3. Cinnamon: 5 stars * I really like this one!
4. Crazy Hair: 2 stars
August 24, 2017
I went through the library's audio offerings and just added all the Neil Gaiman things. They've been trickling in here and there. This one was kind of a waste of time, since I've recently heard all the audio books except The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish. I have that paperback though. Meh. I mean, these are good stories but I didn't need it in my life at this particular moment.
March 9, 2018
This is a collection of short stories. Titles include The day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish, the Wolves in the walls, Cinnamon and crazy Hair. this collocation is great for kids. The last track is so endearing. Neil Gaiman is getting Interviewed my his daughter.
October 7, 2018
salvo por "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish" los dos cuentos y el poema me han sido nuevos.
es agradable escucharle narrar. se disfruta la redacción poniéndole sazón y gracia :3
es agradable escucharle narrar. se disfruta la redacción poniéndole sazón y gracia :3
October 23, 2018
Entertaining short stories, a fun one sitting listen
January 11, 2020
An all too brief bit of magic from Neil Gaiman. As fantastic as the stories are, the interview by his daughter at end is the icing on the cake.
July 6, 2020
This was my first experience with Neil Gaiman. Yeah, I know I’m behind, but THIS WAS SO WHOLESOME AND HEARTWARMING!
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
January 9, 2025
Very cute!
September 2, 2017
Some short stories and a small discussion about American Gods. Wolves in the Walls was pretty cute. The other stories were not bad but not great
January 5, 2018
LOVED this. Can't wait to share it with my little when he's old enough! The interview at the end where Neil Gaiman's daughter interviews him is too adorable for words.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews