cover image Marley: A Dog Like No Other

Marley: A Dog Like No Other

John Grogan, , read by Neil Patrick Harris. . HarperChildren?s Audio, $21.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-06-125509-0

Harris, currently starring in the TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother , but better known to many as Doogie Howser, M.D., turns in a energized and heartfelt reading of Grogan’s adaptation for young people of his bestseller, Marley and Me . In this version, the story of Marley, the incorrigible yellow Labrador retriever who could eat the sheetrock right off the wall while retaining his heart of gold remains largely the same, sans the more adult subject matter: marriage, miscarriages, sex and crime. Harris’s voice is crisp, sharp and precise, yet filled with warmth, a verbal approach that parallels Grogan’s writing style. Trained as a journalist, Grogan naturally balances removed observation with deep emotions. Here, author and narrator make a strong team; this presentation is a great family listen. Ages 8-up. (May)