9780062855633
Play Sample

Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights audiobook

(34 ratings)
33% Cheaper than Audible
Get for $0.00
  • $9.99 per book vs $14.95 at Audible
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Listen at up to 4.5x speed
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Fall asleep to your favorite books
    Set a sleep timer while you listen
  • Unlimited listening to our Classics.
    Listen to thousands of classics for no extra cost. Ever
Loading ...
Regular Price: 27.99 USD

Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights Audiobook Summary

A gripping historical fiction friendship story that will grab everyone by the heartstrings and never let go.

A giant, a dwarf, and three doomed circus animals . . .

By her fourteenth birthday, Babe Killingsworth measures 6’9″ and weighs 342 pounds. In 1896, what other options does a giant have but to join a carnival?

Her only real talent is handling animals: “Critters is folks to me.” The cheap outfit her feckless father sells her off to offers critters galore; an escape from Neal, Idaho; and a bit of fame. It also opens the doorway to exploitation and neglect.

But Babe’s love for Euclid (a chimp) and Jupiter (a bear) keeps her anchored, and in Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights, she is among her own kind.

Enter Carlotta Jones, billed as the world’s smallest girl, whose elephant act leaves much to be desired. At thirty inches tall, Carlotta is beautiful, spoiled, and demanding and has very little talent–Egypt, her elephant, dances better than she does.

How can a giant like Babe and a dwarf like Carlotta ever see eye to eye? They don’t at first, but soon they understand that a common enemy can bring anyone together–even a giant and a dwarf.

“Platt proves again she is unafraid to tackle intensely emotional issues for young readers in this beautifully written piece. Like its title, it inspires both curiosity and delight.” Booklist

Other Top Audiobooks

Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights Audiobook Narrator

Rebecca Gibel is the narrator of Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights audiobook that was written by Randall Platt

Randall Platt likes to find the story in everything. She tries to wake up every day at four a.m. to write, and on a good day she will write fifteen to twenty-five pages. If she caps it off with a game of handball or a run, it’s a perfect day. She is an award-winning author of fiction for both adults and young adults, and her novels have enlightened readers on topics including the 1918 flu pandemic, life on the home front in World War II, life on an Oregon cattle ranch, and the world of baseball in 1898. She keeps a database of historically accurate slang terms, which allows the voices she uses in her writing to feel authentic. Visit her at www.plattbooks.com, where you can read about her favorite books and her tips for boosting creativity.

About the Author(s) of Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights

Randall Platt is the author of Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights

Subjects

The publisher of the Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights is HarperCollins. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is 19th Century, Historical, Juvenile Fiction, United States

Additional info

The publisher of the Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062855633.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Linda

June 06, 2019

Book ReviewPROFESSOR RENOIRS COLLECTION OF ODDITIES, CURIOSITIES, AND DELIGHTS by Randall PlattTo begin I must admit I am a real fan of Randall Platt’s writing. I am a 75-year-old woman reading Middle Grade or YA Literature! I pretend I am pre-reading it so I can decide whether one of my grandchildren will enjoy the book, and indeed, I do send the books on to them. So far nobody has given me a teenage eye roll!I was gifted my copy of Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights in exchange for an honest review of the book. The book was a delight, a surprise, and a ‘unique consideration’ all rolled in to one.I read with continued interest, turning pages instead of getting out of my chair to do other things. The characters were so well drawn in this book. Watching Babe Killingsworth ‘grow’ literally and figuratively was a journey by itself. She was such an ‘other’ in the beginning; isolated, shunned, ridiculed and unloved, but by the time we reached the end of the story (clearly not the end of her journey!) she had evolved and developed into a young woman with confidence in her abilities, her personhood and her lovability. How she navigated through her carnie experience, making friends, keeping her beast at bay whenever her beloved creatures were mistreated, and ultimately finding the inner strength to strike out in the unknown larger world, was believable and satisfying to the reader.The secondary characters were also nicely drawn, Lottie, the bright, intelligent, angry dwarf —at first Babe’s competitor and by the end her dear friend—was definitely a stick-in-your-mind personality. Madame de La Rosa, Babe’s protector and confidant, gave Babe hope and confidence in her personhood. The retired carnies, Miss V, Cleve and the teenage boy Denny all added substance and reality to the life Babe had entered, and wanted to escape. Substance because they had all lived it; reality because they understood she would never be viewed as anything but an oddity in the outside world. The book had many deeper messages to impart to the reader, lessons I think would be well served to many young people growing up in today’s world. What does it mean to be ‘different?’ What opportunities are open to you and closed to you based on your physical appearance? How are you judged when people first meet you? Is pre-judging a person based on a first observance or impression a good idea? Do you get it ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ most of the time? Should you take the time to ‘get to know’ someone before you make assumptions about them? Is it fair to say sometimes people who act out with bad behavior are really acting out from emotional pain and abuse you don’t know about? Do people who are ‘different’ have feelings like everyone else?I loved the conflict between Lotty, Babe and Denny. Everything about the actions, emotions and feelings was real, honest and believable.I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers and people in nursing homes! The story, the characters and the lessons it teaches will either be in front of you in your life, or you will recall them with deeper understanding from reliving them through this wonderful book.

Jessica

August 05, 2019

Platt's story blasts off a heart-wrenching start featuring every child's worst fear: abandonment. But Babe Killingsworth, isn't an ordinary kid, if there is such thing. At 14 she is 6 foot 9 and more than 300 pounds and is especially vulnerable. Her mother is dead and her father, one of the villains in the story, sells her to Professor Renoir, the shady owner of a traveling carnival/freak show as she witnesses their cold-heartening bargaining over her worth and contract. Leaving a home where she is unloved, she climbs aboard Renoir's train as it leaves town, and her bizarre situation goes from managing everyday cruelties to surviving by her wits. The year is 1896 and this story proves how little sympathy other people can have for giant girls, misfits, and anyone who doesn't fit society's standards. In the midst of other 'acts' that include dwarf elephants and girls, a fortune teller, an aging bear and chimpanzee, she flounders and struggles to find her place and create an act as Magnifica making her a valuable commodity.It doesn't take long for Babe to discover that Renoir's entourage is on the skids and he has plans to offload some of the acts and even the critters he's now forced to feed and send them to a taxidermist as a cheaper way to display exotic creatures. During her lonely childhood Babe has cultivated an affinity for taking care of animals and wants to save her four-legged friends. But how can she leave Renoir when he owns her contract and how can she find her way in a world that cares little for orphaned giants. As someone who lives in the Northwest, I enjoyed the trains' route through this region in a less-populated and generous era. I was especially impressed by Platt's research, dialogue, and how her readers come to feel what Babe feels. While there is a lesson here about rising above and the value of friendship, it also teaches readers what deep longing for a normal body feels like, what acute self-consciousness feels like when the heroine can hardly find a chair or bed that will hold her, a room where she can stand tall in. I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher and cannot recommend it enough.

Olivia

June 25, 2019

See my full review here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...PROFESSOR RENOIR'S COLLECTION OF ODDITIES, CURIOSITIES, AND DELIGHTS primarily follows Babe, a fourteen-year-old girl who has gigantism. She already stands at nearing 7' tall and towers over everyone around her. She was not taught well, as she was kicked out of school when she was younger, and her father shows little to no interest in her. She sleeps in the barn, and she is happy with that as she loves animals and brings strays in to help them heal. When Professor Renoir comes to town to see about purchasing her services, her father is all too happy to let her go, as long as he gets a good sum of money. Babe is willing to go and curious to find others who are different like her. On the circuit, she learns that the group is suffering financially, and another act has recently been purchased- a girl her age with dwarfism and a dwarf elephant. Her encounters with the girl, Carlotta (Lotty), have not gone well so far.Babe finds solace in the friendship of the fortune teller, Madame de la Rosa, and in the aging animals in the group, a chimpanzee and a bear. However, with the group's finances being so bad, Renoir wants to kill the animals and stuff them. To prevent this from happening, Babe will team up with Carlotta.What I loved: Babe's perspectives on the carnival are unique and provide new insight into the lives of the people and animals involved. The characters and the story really come to life in this book, with Babe feeling very real and three-dimensional, and even the other people capturing hearts and imaginations through their interactions with her (particularly Madame de la Rosa). There's a very clear villain here, and this seems common in this type of group, revealing important messages about the treatment/abuse of animals. There are also some great themes revealed through the interactions between Babe and Lotty with first impressions, appearances, and working together.Final verdict: Fans of historical fiction and WATER FOR ELEPHANTS will delight in this enthralling book about a very tall girl and her journey through the carnival circuit. Babe is a fantastic and relatable character that shines through this story.

Karen

June 07, 2019

Disclaimer: I’ve was gifted an ARC in exchange for an honest review Once again Randall Platt has captured the spirit and individuality of a youth pitted against extraordinary odds of existence. Fern Marie Killingsworth, born Jan 2, 1882, was barely a year old when she began growing at an alarming rate due to a condition called gigantism. In the opening pages Babe, Fern’s nickname, is fourteen years old, stands 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 343 pounds. She is an eye witness to her father’s dickering with circus director, Professor Renoir, about contract details involving her participation in “Renior’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities and Delights.” Platt does not write with pity, but rather shows Babe’s self-acceptance and determination to make the best of her life while taking care of “critters.” Further, this author is not so concerned with political correctness that she avoids writing authentically in the language of the times and circumstance of a story. I found that added greatly to the story. She adds just the right amount of humor to make Babe’s situation bearable. Babe’s philosophy: Got a problem, you fix it.Life had been harsh up to the point Babe boards Renior’s circus train. She had dropped out of school to avoid relentless teasing, was forced to sleep in a barn because she couldn’t sleep in a normal bed and had to wear men’s shoes and shirts. However, life as a “circus freak” is just as degrading and would’ve been unendurable if not for the critters she befriends - an aging bear named Jupiter and a chimpanzee named Euclid. Both have been neglected and under fed. Babe happily moves into the cattle car to sleep with the animals and soon befriends Carlotta, a beautiful dwarf and her pigmy elephant, Egypt.Babe and Carlotta learn that Renoir is virtually starving circus employees and animals in order to make huge profits for his own pockets. They come up with a plan to run away. From that point, the action, tension and intrigue turn up a notch. How the little group of Oddities and Curiosities - including a pigmy elephant, chimpanzee, and bear - manage to escape circus life and the avenging Renior is the stuff of great plotting. Marvelous ending. Highly recommend this book.

Tyler

June 12, 2019

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Randi Platt has given us yet another fun, colorful historical adventure showcasing characters at the fringes of society. Similar to her earlier novel, The Likes of Me, which featured an albino protagonist, Professor Renoir’s Collection of Curiosities and Delights serves up both a giant (Babe) and a dwarf (Lotty). The two heroes navigate the outlandish world of Professor Renoir’s circus as it travels across America in the closing years of the 19th Century. The novel centers around Babe, who is more or less auctioned off by her father to Professor Renoir and his traveling circus. Babe doesn’t seem to mind much, as she can now be free of her father, earn some money, and see the wider world. But her entry into the circus isn’t appreciated by everybody.Right off the bat, Lotty, who is Renoir’s current star act, feels threatened by Babe’s presence and sets out to ensure that Babe’s act fails. But the ensuing back and forth battles between the two eventually give way to a burgeoning friendship, as the outcasts realize that while they are physically polar opposites, they have more in common on the inside than they first imagined. I won’t spoil much of the story here, but I will say that Platt excels in multiple areas, not the least of which is the slow and careful building of well-rounded characters that the reader comes to care for deeply. She has a gift for portraying the ostracized and the belittled, whether it is the carnies themselves or the numerous animals who come into Babe and Lotty’s care. Platt’s deep understanding of the language of both the era and the carnival are also on display, adding layers of depth to the story and quite a bit of amusement. Babe is not only new to the carnival, but she is also new to adult life (she’s only fourteen). There are dozens of passages where her naivete regarding both adult and carny terminology caused me to laugh out loud. If you haven’t read Platt, Professor Renoir’s is a fine place to start, and it serves as an excellent follow-up to her Washington State Book Award nominated The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die.

Dan'l

July 01, 2020

Randall Platt writes books for "adults and young adults and those who don't own up to being either". Here she has written a book about Fern "Babe" Killingsworth, who, at fourteen years of age (in 1896) is six foot nine, and three hundred fifty pounds of muscle. She lives in a backwater Oregon town where she is teased and picked on by other kids. She was expelled from school during her second try As the story begins, her father sells her to "Professor" Renoir, operator of a fleabitten carnie on its last legs. The carnie features a trio of hooch dancers, JoJo the pinhead, Madame de la Rosa the fortune teller, and an act featuring dwarf Carlotta Jones and pygmy elephant Egypt. The first half, roughly, of the book deals with Babe's attempts to fit in with carnie life, and her eventual exit with Carlotta, Egypt, and a pair of decripit animals - Jupiter the bear and Euclid, "the world's smartest" chimpanzee.The second half deals with her attempts to fit in with a household mostly consisting of retired carnies. Carlotta's aunt, also a dwarf, runs a lumber mill in southern Oregon, and welcomes the five of them with open arms. Babe works wonders both in the carnie and at the aunt's house, but in neither place does she have a feeling of belonging. There's a happy ending as she finds a place where she does fit in and isrespected, but it takes place off stage and is described only in a pair of letters that form the last chapter.The book is warm and funny, treating all its characters with a great deal of respect (even as their situation does not). It explores carnie life and after in ways that I have never seen before - this is no "Toby Tyler". I enjoyed it a great deal and will probably pick up something elseby Ms.Platt in the future.

Denise

June 23, 2019

First will state that I received an Advance Reading Copy of the book from Randall Platt in exchange for a fair review.I choose not to disclose the plot of the book in this review as some others have done. On the surface it seems a simple story, but as the story evolves, its subject matter goes much deeper in emotion and topics. Ms. Platt explains as a post script to the book, that she works very hard to use the common language of the time period in which her story takes place. This use of language transports the reader to being a part of the story, not just an observer.The story is a complicated one of friendship, diversity, old time carnies, with doses of fear, angst and sheer determination as two young girls work together to change their destinies. It provides many opportunities for classroom discussion about very relevant topics and concerns facing not only Young Adult Readers, but mature adults as well. Readers are given a glimpse into the life of the carnies/traveling circuses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest myself, I thoroughly enjoy reading the references to towns and events known to me. Ms. Platt's love for the NW and her attention to detail is evidenced throughout the book. I look forward to reading her next book!

Thomas

June 16, 2019

I've enjoyed Randall Platt's books for a long time. I first encountered her through her Fe-As-Ko series of stories after meeting her at a Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference. I subsequently participated in a weekend writers workshop she facilitated (which was wonderful, btw), and have looked forward to each of her books as they've come out. Also in the interest of full disclosure, I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. And I will be honest and fair in my assessment: I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Babe and Carlotta and the rest of the carnies as well as the elephant, the bear, and the chimp. It's a fast-paced, engaging tale that I simply didn't want to put down, so finished it quickly... which left me wanting more. I highly recommend this rollicking adventure. You'll undoubtedly find yourself, as I did, rooting hard for its unlikely heroines, a giant and a dwarf with hearts of gold. (And... perhaps most important of all... my 12-year old granddaughter loved this story too!)

Beverly

July 10, 2019

Lions and Tigers and Bears Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Wait, make that elephant, chimpanzee and bear. Add a giant of a girl whose name is Babe and her diminutive friend, Carlotta, and you have gathered the most interesting of the peculiar, outlandish, eccentric and sometimes lost and forlorn characters of the traveling carnival who are Professor Renoir’s Collection of Oddities, Curiosities, and Delights. In exchange for a fair review, I received an Advance Reader’s Edition of this book by Randall Platt. I could never have imagined such a tale, but Platt could! This book has it all: lessons in friendship, love, loss and trust as experienced by Babe and Carlotta. I recommend you read this book and follow the surprising adventure that unfolds as the carnival train pulls them, along with their beloved animals, to places, people and experiences they could not have dreamed in their wildest dreams.Beverly Lionberger Hodgins, EditorWomen Writing the West Catalog of Authors' Books

Judy

July 01, 2019

I read a Publisher's copy before it came out. I can always trust the amount of research this author conducts for each book. And it shows in Professor Renoir's Collection of Oddities, Curiosities and Delights. In the 1800s the circus was a destination for many "odd" members of society. They were called the "Carnie Freaks," who endured much hardship. Babe, the girl with gigantism, and Lotty, a dwarf, become an unbeatable duo, against Renoir, the inscrutable circus owner. I appreciate how Platt allows us an inside view of their travails, their accomplishments and ingenuity. Empathy for people who are gifted in other ways, and the animals they nurture, was a lead focus of this book.

Hannah-Andrew

September 12, 2019

An interesting read focusing on people that are ostracized for their differences. Babe is a 14-year old "bonafide giant" in the late 1800's, who finds herself in a travelling carnival. She struggles to find her place, but befriends many other characters who are ostracized for being different, as well as lots of animals along the way. I was fascinated to know whether the story was based on actual people, but I can't find much regarding the background, so I think it's purely fictional.

Rena

November 22, 2019

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Unique story with memorable characters living in the late 1800s. A tale of “misfits” and the misunderstood; both human and animals. “Misfits”, Mishaps, and Mistreatment. A glimpse of the “Carnie” lifestyle and its hardships plus unexpected friendships. I loved Babe and Euclid. I did get teary eyed with their relationship.

Michelle

December 28, 2019

Enter the world of a traveling carnival where family can be found in the ODDEST of places. A great combination of characters and circumstances. A great read for middle readers and people of all ages.

Frequently asked questions

Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.

  • 1. Download your favorite audiobook app such as Speechify.
  • 2. Sign up for an account.
  • 3. Browse the library for the best audiobooks and select the first one for free
  • 4. Download the audiobook file to your device
  • 5. Open the Speechify audiobook app and select the audiobook you want to listen to.
  • 6. Adjust the playback speed and other settings to your preference.
  • 7. Press play and enjoy!

While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
However, most audiobook apps work across multiple devices so you can pick up that riveting new Stephen King book you started at the dog park, back on your laptop when you get back home.

Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.

Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.

Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!

It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

footer-waves