Yo ho ho, Long John Silver finds his voice

Treasure Island Random House/Listening Library Six-CDs (seven hours, nine minutes) $29.95; ages 7 to adult www.listeninglibrary.com

The thrills and chills in Robert Louis Stevenson’s late 19th-century classic are mint-fresh in Alfred Molina’s inspired performance of this seafaring adventure tale of pirates and buried treasure that pits cabin boy Jim Hawkins against wicked Long John Silver and his ruthless crew of mutineers. Molina, the accomplished stage and film actor (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Da Vinci Code”), is a one-man theater company, giving vivid voice to every character -- even Long John’s evil-minded, “pieces of eight”-spouting parrot.

Stories of the American Puppet Mazzarella Media DVD (58 minutes; available Tue.) $19.95; for the family (800) 583-1988 www.mazz.com

Originally aired on PBS, this unusual documentary is a journey through the history of American puppetry, from 18th century Punch and Joan (later Judy) shows and lavish, European-influenced marionette classics to Muppet genius Jim Henson and Julie Taymor’s stunning work on Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway. Along with vintage illustrations and archival photographs, film clips and interviews with puppeteers, puppet makers, historians and other experts are snippets of performances by such iconic figures as Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Howdy Doody; Paul Winchell’s Jerry Mahoney and Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop. DVD extras feature puppet master Tony Sarg’s remarkable stop-action “Stonehenge Circus” film from 1921 and other rarities.

Puppetolio AT Productions/Merit Music DVD (64 minutes) $16.95; for the family (310) 656-0483 www.puppetolio.com

A well-produced first DVD release from Steve Meltzer, puppeteer and founder of the Santa Monica Puppetry Center, who takes visitors back to a beguiling form of yesteryear entertainment in a live recording of his signature family show, “Puppetolio.” A modest musical revue, it stars a cast of eccentric ventriloquist dummies and marionettes in comic vignettes accompanied by songs and old-time recorded music. Like Edgar Bergen, Meltzer is one of those ventriloquists whose lips move when he voices his puppets, but that doesn’t detract from the show’s gentle charm and spirit of fun. The DVD’s prerecorded second half is a clever “Sing Along Song Show” that allows the puppet crew independent lives of their own as they join Meltzer in renditions of “You Are My Sunshine,” “On Top of Spaghetti” and more.

Fascinating Creatures Frances England CD: $12.97; all ages www.cdbaby.com

Children’s music is a burgeoning field, but stand-out artists like Dan Zanes or Jessica Harper don’t come along every day. This gorgeous, alt-rock/roots music first album puts singer/songwriter/guitarist Frances England squarely in that top tier. England’s delicately layered vocals -- Lisa Loeb and Aimee Mann come to mind -- are a perfect match for her captivating spin on a child’s world, including the dreamlike title track about “the way we live” (“If I were a chicken I’d lay the most beautiful eggs . . . if I were a sloth, I’d take my own sweet time . . . if I were a wren I’d sing the sweetest songs, to guide my babies back home”). With deft support from musician/singer Billy Riggs and Carlos Villarreal on drums, each song is a little treasure of creativity, artistry and heart.