Showing results by narrator "Katie Haigh" in All Categories

Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration.

Jewish folklore is full of vivid stories that both entertain and teach. We have selected for you a collection of tales and stories from the Talmud and Midrash, and rewritten them to suit the needs of children of Jewish culture and any other. Along with a large helping of gentle humor, these tales entertain while being infused with the perennial Jewish struggle for survival and dignity.

Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis, a clinical method of treatment through dialogue. Modern thought owes him his theoretical description of the structure and functioning of the unconscious, through the discovery of the essential role of transference in the analytic process, the redefinition of sexuality including its infantile forms, the analysis of dreams, symptom formation and the mechanisms of repression. His ideas are still controversed, but his work has suffused the whole of Western thought. The idea of an ego who is not master in its own house shattered intellectual fundations, and its legacy are everywhere in our everyday life.

"Blue beard" (French: "La Barbe bleue") is a very famous classic fairy tale written by Charles Perrault. Bluebeard is a wealthy aristocrat, feared and shunned because of his ugly, blue beard. He has been married several times, but no one knows what became of his wives. He is therefore avoided by the local girls. When Bluebeard visits one of his neighbours and asks to marry one of his two daughters, the girls are terrified, and each tries to pass him on to the other. Eventually he talks the younger daughter into visiting him, and after hosting a wonderful banquet, he persuades her to marry him.

Little children need tales and stories, for they play an essential part in their development by awakening their imagination, introducing them to symbolic imagery, and bringing forth emotions in a healthy, constructive way. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon.

Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Plato is indeed considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle. But his writings are often light, fresh and funny; it was Plato who invented the dialogue in philosophy, which makes a point very easy to follow and the occasion of various scenic arrangements.

A time of extreme religious unrest, a most magnificent and dangerous court, and strong ideas about the need for a perfect heir: all this may have been enough to transform an intelligent, compassionate and generous young king into such a bloody monster that he was eventually called the "English Nero". Henry VIII is most remembered for his six marriages, two of which ended with beheadings.

Victor Hugo is one of the best-known French writers, and is part of the greatest literary figures of all time. His poetry made him famous very early, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest lyric poets when he was only 20 years old. He was also a novelist and a dramatist, and furthered the cause of Romanticism, this exalted artistic movement which toyed with Sublime and soared on the winds of emotion.

A peasant girl named Karen is adopted by a rich old lady after her mother's death and grows up vain and spoiled. Before her adoption, Karen had a rough pair of red shoes; now she has her adoptive mother buy her a pair of red shoes fit for a princess. After Karen repeatedly wears them to church, they begin to move by themselves, but she is able to get them off. One day, when her adoptive mother becomes ill, Karen goes to attend a party in her red shoes. A mysterious soldier appears and makes strange remarks about what beautiful dancing shoes Karen has.

We proudly present to you 20 short stories specially selected for little girls in love with adventure, beauty and imagination. Classic tales and stories are an fundamental part of children's development, as they awaken imagination while bringing essential teachings. Little girls will delight with the feminine adventures of Goldilocks, Cinderilla, Beauty and many others essential feminine characters; they will meet characters both powerful and delicate, to help them build their own personality with joy and love.

"The Frog Prince" : in the tale, a spoiled princess reluctantly befriends the Frog Prince (meeting him after dropping a gold ball into a pond), who magically transforms into a handsome prince. Although in modern versions the transformation is invariably triggered by the princess kissing the frog, in the original Grimm version of the story is a a little bit different.

"The Ugly Duckling" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. When the tale begins, a mother duck's eggs hatch. One of the little birds is perceived by the other birds and animals on the farm as a homely little creature and suffers much verbal and physical abuse from them. He wanders sadly from the barnyard and lives with wild ducks and geese until hunters slaughter the flocks. He finds a home with an old woman but her cat and hen tease him mercilessly and again he sets off on his own. He sees a flock of migrating wild swans; he is delighted and excited but he cannot join them for he is too young and cannot fly.

Lao-Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, and as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. As a central figure in Chinese culture, the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people both claim Lao Tzu. Some of his great quotes are "When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality." "Without Darkness, there can be no Light." "The usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness."

"Little Red Riding Hood" is a famous fairy tale about a young girl's encounter with a wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. The Little Red Riding Hood story is among the most popular fairy tales in the world.

The great figures of modern philosophy led generations to struggle with the most crucial of questions and break through a new understanding of conscience and existence. Nietzsche's work is radical, sometimes violent, often ironic; it fascinates anyone bold enough to delve into it, exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history, and covers a wide range of subjects. Immanuel Kant is one of the most important figures of German philosophy, said to have affected a Copernican revolution in philosophy.

To help your children manage their emotions, learn to focus and unwind, it is essential to teach them simple and efficient relaxation techniques in a format appealing to them. This selection of exercises specially designed for children will introduce them to relaxation through breathing techniques, guided visualizations, and mindfulness; they can be used by the whole family, as these proven techniques are the same adults can learn. Children live in an information-packed environment.

The legend of the famous hero Robin Hood originates in dramatic pieces and ballads from the 15th century in England. His story has been given shape and retold through the centuries, and is still universally known to children nowadays. "The Tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men", as retold by Mary Macleod, is a faithful rendition of the original medieval legend full of colorful and moral adventures. It is read by Katie Haigh, for the delight of children and as well as adults sensitive to literary style.

"The unknown masterpiece", or "Le chef-d'œuvre inconnu", is a story by the French author Honoré de Balzac. This short text was of tremendous importance in the world of art, for it holds a groundbreaking reflection about artistic creation: what does completion or failure mean, and how is it that technique does not guarantee either. Paul Cézanne famously said "I am Frenhofer", identifying with the old master around which the story revolves. Pablo Picasso himself was absolutely fascinated by the text, so much that he had his studio moved in the Parisian street named in the story; there, he painted his own masterpiece, Guernica.

Alexander II was Emperor of Russia from 2 March 1855 until his assassination on 13 March 1881. He is remembered as Alexander the Liberator, as he led the emancipation of Russia's serfs; during his reign, he kept seeking peace, although the context of the surrounding countries was proving more and more difficult. Although he went down in history as a reformer, his actions were too little too late for the revolutionaries of late imperial Russia, who managed to assassinate him in 1881.

The Scripture is an endless source of inspiration. Quotes from the Bible give a glimpse of our ancestor's lives and habits, and they are food for thought in our modern lives as they provide answers to our innermost questions. They are also precious occasions to reflect deeper on what it means to have faith, be Christian, or simply human.