Review: A magical, festive advent calendar-style audiobook - The Call of Mektoub

Christmas is a magical time for children, to bring a little festive fun to bedtimes in the lead-up, Lantern Audio have the perfect enchanted tale, available to listen as an audio book. We settled down to have a listen, just in time for the beginning of December.

The Call of Mektoub follows main character Emma and her daughter Lucy as they embark on an adventure to save the Magical Lands of the North from being lost forever, helping the characters from a very old book (The Land of Never Grows Old). The book is one of only a few copies that have survived the test of time, having been handed down through generations of mothers and daughters, and the characters from the book are only able to exist whilst children believe in them. 

The story follows Emma and Lucy’s travels, whilst dealing with themes of courage, determination and embracing compassion and kindness for others, which is perfect for children and adults alike, who may need a little reminder at this time of year what it’s all about. 

The idea of the story is to listen to a chapter every night of December, up until Christmas Eve, like an alternative advent calendar. Each chapter has music and sound effects, including original pieces by the author Helen S. Michaelsen and her talented musician friends. 

Working full time, it can be a challenge to set aside quality time for the children, especially at this time of year when life can feel a bit hectic, so it’s been lovely to snuggle up and get cosy together for storytime, where I don’t even need to do any work, as the tale is beautifully read to us by narrator Greg Marston, supported by a brilliant cast who really bring the story to life one chapter at a time. 

We’ve enjoyed taking parts of the story to help bring a little extra festive magic to our evenings, with hot chocolates, chocolate chip cookies and toasting marshmallows in front of the Christmas tree. The children love bringing the tale to life, and it is a fantastic way to spend time together on a winter's evening. The weather outside might be chilly, but it has been nice to feel snug and warm inside whilst giving the story a listen at the end of each day. 

Although the children are different ages, it has been interesting discussing the story with each of them, and seeing their different perspectives on the tale. Cameron is almost a teenager, whilst Carly is ten and Benjamin, the baby of the family, has recently turned six. 

You can purchase the Audiobook of The Call of Mektoub on Lanten Audio, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Findaway, StoryTel, IBS and more! They will provide you with a download link available immediately so that you can start listening right away. There is a sample of the story available to listen to on the website, if you would like to make sure it is right for you, but I can highly recommend as an original tale to get the whole family in the festive spirit this December. 

Review by Emma at Bournemouth Bloggers.

Download your copy of "The Call of Mektoub" here!