Peter Pan in Scarlet

The product of a contest commissioned by trustees at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, owner of the copyright to J.M. Barrie's original Peter Pan , this authorized sequel largely succeeds in entertaining fans of the classic. Curry offers an easy, comfortable pace and somewhat subdued tone for this outing, seemingly taking great care to introduce listeners to new characters (Fireflyer, a male fairy) and reacquaint them with old ones (Wendy and John Darling, Peter). As the central plot unfolds—a return by the League of Pan to Neverland, and their treasure-hunting adventures there with Peter—Curry particularly delights in giving voice to Ravello, a tattered lion tamer and dramatically obsequious fellow who offers to assist the crew and who has a hilarious, hard-to-place foreign accent. Slightly darker and a bit harder to follow than its predecessor (also new on audio; see notes), McCaughrean's follow-up, sparked here by Curry's solid performance—is sure to prove irresistible for many. All ages. (Oct.)