Audiobook · read by volunteers
Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children
James Baldwin (1841–1925) · Daniel Defoe (1660–1731)
Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) · 15 chapters · 3 h 41
About the book
Imagine being thrown onto an empty shore with nothing but a few tools rescued from a wreck. How would you find shelter, food and clothing? That is the question at the heart of this retelling of Robinson Crusoe, prepared by James Baldwin for young readers. Baldwin keeps the shape of Defoe’s famous story and makes it brisk, clear and friendly. The sailor survives his shipwreck, builds a home, learns to farm, tame animals and make what he needs with his own hands, all while the years go by and the sea stays empty. The book follows him through more than twenty years on his island before help arrives. It is a story of patience, invention and courage, told simply enough for children and with enough warmth to please listeners of every age.
Introduction
Daniel Defoe, who lived from 1660 to 1731, published Robinson Crusoe in 1719, and it became one of the most widely read adventure stories in English. The version recorded here is a later adaptation by the American writer and educator James Baldwin, who lived from 1841 to 1925 and prepared this edition for children in 1905. He rewrote the story in shorter, simpler language, so that it could be read by pupils in the upper grades of elementary school.
The plot is easy to describe. A sailor is shipwrecked, rescues what he can from the vessel, and begins a new life on an island. With only a few tools he must create everything he needs for daily life: shelter, food, clothing. He remains there for over twenty years and has to reinvent almost every comfort that civilisation provides. The charm of the story lies in this slow, practical resourcefulness, which makes the adventure feel real.
The recording is divided into fifteen parts, each covering a few chapters of the adapted text, and it lasts roughly three and three-quarter hours. That makes it a good choice for a family listening project, for long car journeys or for bedtime sessions of half an hour.
LibriVox volunteers lent their voices to this reading. Listeners who know the original may enjoy comparing it with Baldwin’s streamlined version, while those who have never met Crusoe will find an ideal point of entry. It remains a tale about self-reliance, and about the quiet satisfaction of making something with your own hands.
Public domain
James Baldwin died in 1925: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
Daniel Defoe died in 1731: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text