Audio Books & CD’s by Jenni Cargill

The Mermaids Shoes | Wonder Tales of Earth and Sea| Coming Soon

The Mermaids Shoes and other enchanted tales

The Mermaid's Shoes is parent-friendly, hard wearing, retains a child's interest for years, shortens road trips, stimulates imagination and is easy to post. The Mermaid's Shoes' has been designed for children aged three years and up.

It has no scary stories, so is suitable for listening to before going to bed, and for very young and sensitive kids. It is beautifully presented in new cardboard format, making it much more hardwearing and eco-friendly than the traditional plastic jewel case. It has sixty minutes worth of stories and songs and a four page booklet holds lyrics and story information. More...

Review by Cassy Cochrane for Sydney's Child; Melbourne's Child; Brisbane’s Child magazine. May 2007

“The Mermaid's Shoes and other Enchanted Tales" Four out of Five Stars.

Last year I reviewed Jenni Cargill's award-winning Wonder Tales of Earth and Sea, and now Jenni is back with another collection of stories both spoken and sung. Jenni uses folktales and mythology as the basis of her many tales, as well as the natural environment. The title track, The Mermaid's Shoes is set in Byron Bay and there are references to Australian ecology throughout the CD, as well as sound bites of bush and birds. Other stories take their origins from countries as far-ranging as Russia, Japan and Ireland. Jenni is an emphatic teller of tales. Her spoken narration is clear and energetic, and her singing voice is melodic and inviting, and the majority of these stories are well written. Accompanied by exotic instruments such as the lyre, tabla, cavaqhino and harp, as well as delightful character voices of her two children, Jenni creates a magical atmosphere. These stories are sensitively told, magical tales designed for four to nine year olds. Jenni regards her stories as soul food, and their mystical nature may not appeal to all, but if your children are fans of magic, fantasy and fairytale, then this is just for them. www.brisbaneschild.com.au

Review by Mandy Nolan for Byron Shire Echo; 20 March, 2007

Last night my kids wouldn't go to sleep....Sure we read stories. But it's not something we are up to every night. My husband is a remarkably good storyteller. If he's in the mood I'll snuggle in as well. The kids love it. There is something nurturing about storytime. It's like the prelude to a dreamscape. Lying in your flannie jammies, listening to a story from long ago or far away as you start to slowly drift into deep sleep. Local writer Jenni Cargill is renowned for her storytelling prowess. In fact, she's so good I was thinking of ringing her and getting her over. Russ and I were watching a movie and call us selfish, neither was up to the nightie night story thing. My son was making moves that indicated he would not be remaining in bed. I had a flash of genius which involved my husband going out to the car. 'Remember the story CD that Jenni Cargill sent me to review? It's in the car. Go get it. Now!' Five minutes later two children were tucked quietly in their bunks, listening furtively in a darkened room as Ms Cargill's The Mermaid's Shoes played. Ten minutes later they were asleep. I have listened to the stories in full on a car trip. And I have to say they were a Godsend then as well. The kids had just started with the 'she's touching me' 'he bit me' 'her leg is on my leg' business from the backseat. We popped in the stories and our monsters were angels again. That's what stories do for kids. Videos don't. Playstations certainly don't. But stories reconnect kids with their imagination and provide them with valuable archetypes and understandings that they can draw on later in life. There is something spiritual or pschychological about story which seems to feed our deep unconscious mind. The stories on Jenni's latest CD are wonderful. The Mermaid's Shoes is a story of longing and transformation, about our deep need to attain the unattainable and in the process lose a part of ourselves. In a story that parallels the Mermaid surrendering her tail for shoes and human legs we are fed a much richer parable: what part of ourselves do we lose when we sacrifice our authenticity for a desire of the ego? You can't just teach kids these lessons. These are deep moral questions that trickle in like honey through the narrative. Somewhere in your child's brain is a sophisticated understanding about choice and destiny. There's an element of melancholy in some stories, a sweet sadness that draws us in, like in Goldenheart, the story of a depressed father who has been a depressed child. Somewhere in the story the child manages to unlock the sadness of his father's heart. Then there's my favourite, the classic tale of the Eastern Goat and the Western Goat set in Russia. On the CD, Jenni's two children, who she credits with making her a much better storyteller, play the roles of the goats. It's adorable. Jenni has woven her Celtic influenced folk music throughout the recording. I think you'll find, like I have, that The Mermaid's Shoes by Jenni Cargill is a must have for any parent.

Wonder Tales of Earth and Sea

WARNING: This CD will ignite your child’s imagination and cause them to listen to it over and over instead of watching TV!Winner of the National Library of Australia’s Special Award
For children 4-9 years

Entertain the kids in the car, before bed, school holidays
- Any Time! You might even enjoy listening yourself!

The art of the bard or storyteller is very much alive and well with this sparkling collection of tales and songs. Weaving together traditional, modernised and original stories, to captivate the imaginations of children and their grownups, tale weaver and singer Jenni Cargill will take you to worlds full of wonder and adventure.
The recording is beautifully produced by multi-talented musician and composer Ian Blake, who plays no less than eight acoustic instruments- from lyre to ukulele, from banjo to shakuhachi. Ian has been involved in over 20 albums for children. More...

Coming Soon..

In early 2007, Jenni will release an album of ballads and stories for adults entitled, “Stories to Light the Dark”. But why would an adult want to sit down and listen to a tale well told?

“Many assume that stories are just for kids,” says Jenni, “yet storytelling is currently a phenomenon sweeping the world.

“In the US and the UK , thousands of adults flock to storytelling festivals throughout the year. They have storytelling radio stations and huge websites attracting million of hits.

“Traditional stories are often misunderstood because modern people try to understand them as literal stories, while they need to be understood in terms of metaphor. They are of the realm of dreams, poetry and inner wisdom, not the intellect.

“In this hectic, modern age, stories can help us to calm our exhausted minds and unwind. Folktales and myths can help us go within and slow down, to tap into a deeper, more ancient rythmn.”

‘Stories to Light the Dark' encompasses original stories and songs, plus traditional ballads and stories, all re-interpreted for a modern audience.

In The Wife of Bath's Tale , from Chaucer's medieval Canterbury Tales , a young knight must answer on pain of death, the question “What is it that mortal women most desire?” Will the answer he discovers save his neck? A tale of mystery, enchantment and redemption.

In the chilling open-ended ballad, Mr Fox , we meet Bluebeard, or is he the devil? Or is he an inner devil? Will Mary grasp her heart's desire and escape? Will we?

In King Willy , there are magical girdles and horses' manes hung with silver bells offered as exchange for the birth of a beloved baby. In The Seal and the Baby , a freak storm separates a baby from his young father. But can the baby be saved?

Goldenheart , is an original tale of a man who finds feelings too painful. So, like Davey Jones, he throws his heart in a tin. But Goldenheart's heart finds its way back to him. It has been the third most listened to track on one of America 's biggest storytelling sites, www.storyteller.net for years.

The album has been sumptuously recorded at Nomad Digital, with meticulous attention to detail. Jenni's beautiful vocals have a rich, warm sound and the music and sound effects that accompany the tracks greatly enhance the listener's experience. Weaving behind and between these stories and ballads are delicate medieval vocal harmonies and drones, renaissance recorders, medieval fiddle, lyre, cavaquinho, tabla, lute, medieval fiddle, recorders, concertina, banjo, harp and bells.

So, for that grown-up friend who has everything, why not surprise them with something completely unique? Or surprise yourself with something completely different and listen in the car, in the bath, in the dark or in the kitchen.

If you are interested in being on a wait-list for future CD’s, downloads and/or DVD’s please email Jenni with “Mailing list for future recordings” in the Subject line. Thanks!