7 Tales from the Quran

I’ll admit, I approached *7 Tales from the Quran* with skepticism. Too many religious audiobooks for kids either oversimplify to the point of blandness or drown listeners in moralizing. This one surprised me. From the opening lines of ‘The Story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah),’ Maggie Ross’s narration pulls you in—not with dramatic flourishes, but with a conversational rhythm that feels like a favorite aunt sharing a secret. Her pacing is impeccable: she slows just enough during the whale’s ‘dark belly’ scene to let the imagery sink in, then snaps back to urgency when Yunus prays for deliverance. It’s a masterclass in how to hold a child’s attention without resorting to gimmicks. The story selection is smart, too. Sheikh avoids the usual suspects (Noah’s ark, Ibrahim’s fire) in favor of lesser-told tales like ‘The People of the Cave,’ where the mystery of the sleeping youths feels like an adventure story with a spiritual core. My only critique? The background music, while tasteful, occasionally swells at odd moments—like during the climax of ‘Musa and the Snake,’ where the sudden instrumental swell nearly distracts from the narrative tension. And at 27 minutes total, I wished for *one* more tale to round out the collection (the story of Maryam, perhaps?). But these are quibbles. For parents seeking an audiobook that respects both the Quran’s gravity and a child’s imagination, this is a rare gem. My 7-year-old asked to replay ‘The Ants and Sulaiman’ three times in a row—high praise indeed.