The mysterious old house is inhabited by a giraffe, a pelican, and a monkey. Together they form a window-cleaning company, and their first assignment is to clean 677 filthy windows at the Duke of Hampshire's estate. Grant keeps listeners spellbound as he relates this ridiculous and silly adventure. His rendition of the long, low voice of the British-accented giraffe is marvelous, as are poetical declamations uttered by the pelican. The reader sounds like a snob when speaking in the pure diction of a lord or duchess and seems more down-to-earth when delivering the colloquialisms of commoners. Grant's tongue trips easily over Dahl's brilliant neologisms, and his interpretation of this humorous animal fantasy is magical, even when he breaks into song.

K-Gr 4 Richard E. Grant reads Roald Dahl's story (Puffin, pap. 2002) in an animated and pleasant voice perfectly suited for the telling, including the requisite British dialect. One day looking for his favorite sweet shop, young Billy happens upon the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company comprised of the giraffe, the pelican (Pelly), and the monkey. The giraffe, with an extending neck, can reach all of the high places, the pelican can hold the soap and water in his bucket-sized beak, the monkey does all of the washing, and Billy becomes their manager. Their first customer proves to be a great challenge. They are hired to clean all 677 windows of Hampshire House, owned by the richest man in all of England. Of course, there are many adventures along the way. The brevity of this story makes it especially useful for beginning as well as reluctant readers. This audiobook is certain to be a hit at public and school libraries. Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA