3 comments about Sing Yoursel Silly/Elmo's Musical Adventure.

1. I bought these videos for my 20 month old granddaughter. Although she's very young and can easily be distracted, she sat still through the entire showing of "Peter and the Wolf" where Elmo was the star. She adores Elmo and his friends and Sing Yourself Silly gets her on her feet and dancing. She wants everyone to dance with her. Good fun for everyone!! This product was well worth the small investment!



2. so many classics are on here...honestly, we haven't seen the elmo story cd yet - but the SING YOURSELF SILLY is very entertaining...and brings back many memories...it's nice to share this with our child.



3. These are both great DVDs. It's a bargain.
   
   Silly Songs is a fun collection with many gems. The extended Put down the Ducky is the big closer but the whole DVD is mostly A grade with maybe one A- and one B- among selections. (no grade inflation)
   
   Elmo's adventure is Peter & the Woolf at the Boston Pops within a story about music & cooperation. Hats off to the crew for making the cooperative points gently without getting in the way of the story. There's huge depth to this. My daughter followed the story before age 2, but there should be things for much older children to find & enjoy. It's a treat to see real musicians & instruments are featured.

5 comments about Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic.

1. This is another delightful collection of seven folktales from around the world, which can be enjoyed by all ages. Written by Amy Friedman, and directed by Lori Ada Jaroslow, the music was composed by Laura Hall of "Who's Line is it Anyway?" The beautiful and colorful illustrations on the CD jacket are by Jillian Gilliland.
   
   
   1. The Tortoise & the Magic Drum
   Narrated by Glenna Forster-Jones (Sierra Leone): Broadcaster, Performer, Actress
   Setting: Nigeria
   
   [The secret of a magic drum
   Makes a tortoise rather glum]
   
   
   2. The Poet & the Dragon
   Narrated by Peter James Smith: Actor (Ed, from The West Wing)
   Setting: China
   
   [Poems soothe a noble beast
   In this fine story from the East]
   
   
   3. Kerplunk
   Narrated by Gideon Emery: Actor, Voice credits on games including Final Fantasy XII
   Setting: Australia
   
   [Just like the Chicken Little tale
   You should let common sense prevail]
   
   
   4. The Elephant's Reward
   Narrated by Meera Simhan: Actress
   Setting: India
   
   [Even though you may be small
   You may be useful after all]
   
   
   5. The Talking Cat
   Narrated by Len Cariou: Performer, Actor, Academy Award winning Narrator
   Setting: Canada (French)
   
   [A woman living with her cat
   Is startled when it starts to chat]
   
   
   6. Coyote's Gift
   Narrated by Arigon Starr: Award winning singer, songwriter, musician, actor, artist and playwright
   Setting: Native American
   
   [Stolen fire from the sun
   Has animals working as one]
   
   
   7. The Cricket's Song
   Narrated by Giselle Achecar: Actress
   Setting: Guatemala
   
   [The little yellow cricket's songs
   Show her where her heart belongs]
   
   
   
   
   Also of note is the use of musical instruments from the countries of origin of the stories. Listen for the African xylophone (balafon), ganjukoi bells, bongos, gamelon, koto, Tibetan bowl, penny whistle, dulcimer, sruuti box, tabla, melodica, marimba, maracas, flute and shaker.
   
   Very interesting stories narrated by a talented group of performers, this would be another age appropriate gift for that budding storyteller on your list.
   
   
   
   
   Amanda Richards, August 1, 2008



2. This is a good CD. My son is very sensitive to "conflict" in stories. He's only three and not ready for the content. It's creative listening for older children.



3. 
   Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic is an audiobook on CD comprised of fantastic retellings of classic folktales about animals. The stories have diverse origins from around the globe, and each revolves around a different amazing beast. The narratives are The Tortoise and the Magic Drum, a Nigerian Tale (5:38); The Poet and the Dragon, a Chinese tale (9:15); Kerplunk, an Australian tale (8:07); The Elephant's Reward, an East Indian tale (7:52); The Talking Cat, a French Canadian tale (10:36); Coyote's Gift, a Native American tale (8:52), and The Cricket's Song, a Guatemalan tale (11:28). Adults as well as children are sure to enjoy this engrossing audio anthology.



4. We absolutely love this cd. Our kids LOVE it too. So inventive and fun to listen to the amazingly told stories. Great voices and a wonderful alternative to watching TV or movies for sure. Our kids want to go to bed listening to the CD and it is working wonders to get them settled and happy in the evening. We listen to it in the car too and the kids alwasy ask for it. A must have!



5. As long as humanity had a language, there existed storytelling where people exchanged myths, history, philosophical musings, etc.
   
   In every culture and corner of the world there are storytellers who amuse, educate, entertain, spread knowledge, preserve their traditions and values, and in some cases even mislead with false facts.
   
   Amy Friedman's second in her series Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic has once again reflected this art of storytelling as she presents in CD format with music composed by Laura Hall eight international tales from all corners of the world. As summed up by the CD's cover, "The multicultural rhythms and tales of Tell Me A Story: Animal Magic reflect the spirit of these words offered in 1854 by Chief Seattle: ...if all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit..."
   
   Read by some of the most gifted screen and stage actors, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic contains tales even the most TV addicted reader can listen to into without distraction. In addition, as pointed out to me by Friedman, one element that distinguishes this CD from the first one is that all the actors (or their families) hail from the story's land of origin.
   
   Listeners are swept away to all corners of the globe where we can be enchanted with the Nigerian tale, The Tortoise and the Magic Drum, the Australian Tale, Kerplunk, the Chinese tale, The Poet and the Dragon, an East Indian tale, The Elephant's Reward, a French Canadian tale, The Talking Cat, a Guatemalan tale, The Cricket's Song, and a Native American tale, the Coyote's Gift.
   
   As is the case with all stories, each one reflects a different theme, some may be humorous, perhaps inspirational or educative. For example, The Tortoise and the Magic Drum explains the origin of one animal's uniqueness-why it often lays hidden in muddy waters.
   
   In the Chinese tale, The Poet and the Dragon, we learn that according to the traditional Chines calendar, Duanwu Jie-or the Dragon Boat Festival in English-takes place on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month. The origins of the festival are told in this tale of the poet, Qu Yuan, a great patriot, loved by his people and who warns his king, King Chu, of his impending removal from power.
   
   Moreover, what all of these stories have in common is their knack of providing just enough clues to capture our imagination, intellect, and emotional response involved in figuring out what is going on in the story.
   
   Children thrive in their need to hear a good story-something that will ignite their imaginations, and no doubt, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic will delight many attentive listeners, both young and old.
   
   As the American novelist, poet, dramatist, Reynolds Price stated in his book A Palpable God, "A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens--second in necessity apparently after nourishment and before love and shelter. Millions survive without love or home, almost none in silence; the opposite of silence leads quickly to narrative, and the sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives, from the small accounts of our day's events to the vast incommunicable constructs of psychopaths."
   
   Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

5 comments about Baby Nick Jr. Curious Buddies - Let's Move.

1. Its a hit in our house! The songs are great and modernized, the visuals are easy going and fun, and the yoga...jeez...could you get any cooler? My 16 month old girl has a good time whenever its on and the songs have a tendency to stick in mom's head. Good stuff!!



2. This is a great kids' exercise video. My daughter STILL loves it and she's almost 5. A bunch of people (and puppets) in this thing are affiliated with "Jack's Big Music Show", so it's got a similar vibe, but is made for littler kids. It's fast-paced and fun and one of the few videos we have that I've also bought for friend's kids.



3. My son loves this movie, first saw it when he was about 15 months old and he caught on to the yoga in it. Does the downward dog often. Also has nice bright colors and catchy music. Fun for parents too.



4. My 3 year old daughter loves this video. She asks me to put it on daily and then does all of the moves with the video. She stretches and dances and moves and laughs. She is very good at doing the simple yoga poses, too. It makes me feel good to let her view a dvd with so much interaction. It is so much better than the ones that she just sits and watches.



5. My one and two year old daughters watch this movie over and over. They have learned new yoga moves and like to dance along with the children in the movie. I would like to purchase other Curious Buddies movies!! Excellent movie!!

5 comments about Thomas and Friends: Calling All Engines!.

1. This is an awesome story that will keep children entertained, and has a good message about cooperation. Despite the length, it is fast paced and moves well - keeping children interested.



2. My grandchildren love the Thomas the Tank Engine videos. We purchased some for them for Christmas, but did not have any to keep at our house for their visits. My four year old grandson specifically requested "Calling All Engines" and the only place we could find it was on Amazon. It has become one of their favorite ones. This morning they came to visit and the first words from our two year old grand-daughter was "THOMAS!!!!" So we watched it again. They never get tired of it and neither do the grandparents (and that is saying a lot).



3. We love Thomas here. The feature the newer DVD's are coming out with are great, being able to set it up to play over and over is great for those busy toddlers who want the movie to play and watch.



4. I love the old Thomas, back in the days of Ringo Starr and George Carlin, but ever since Alex Baldwin came on the scene, the Thomas shows seem to sink lower and lower. Gone are the days when I could let my kids watch the shows without my having to view them first. And in addition to having more questionable content (see below), the shows are much more twaddle than they used to be. Older Thomas shows don't beat the kids over the head with the moral like these new ones seem to. And the stories in the older Thomas shows just seemed better.
   
   This particular escapade has dramatic tension, and a good message about working together to accomplish good things, but the engines now use expletives -- okay, not grown-up expletives, but things like "Cinders and Ashes!" which my children started using as expletives. (They hadn't used expletives before, other than "Bother!") The engines call each other names ("Stinky Steamies" for example), and, again, my children started calling each other "stinky" for awhile. We hadn't had name-calling problems before the movie. Now, I realize that most kids are exposed to much worse, but I draw attention to this because the older Thomas episodes didn't have any of this going on. Three-year olds could watch with impunity! ;-> But for those who care about this kind of thing, be warned.
   
   The older Thomas episodes are so much more wholesome, just stick with them!



5. Child likes this very much. This DVD contains many trains.

2 comments about The Mozart Effect: Music for Newborns - A Bright Beginning.

1. This cd is a great way to introduce your baby to Mozart. My son loves it.



2. I prefer the slow songs, they seems to be a better fit for my baby. I also bought The Mozart Effect: Music For Babies: Nighty Night which I like a lot. The performances are well played by talented musicians. (I have a degree from Peabody so that's a true compliment)

5 comments about Child's Gift of Lullabyes.

1. I had received a baby gift of a "Childs Gift of Lullabies" for my older son who is now 7. He still falls asleep to it every night. For my younger son I got "The Rock-a-bye Baby Collection" because I loved the first version so much. I am not sure which album I like better. The music is so soothing- and seems to almost lull them to sleep. (Rather, since they are active little boys, it "calms the savage beast".) Actually, when I am having a tough time falling asleep, I confiscate one of their CD's and play it. It helps my mind to relax- and normally I am one of those people that needs total silence to fall asleep. I give these as gifts to every Mom-to-Be that I know, and they always appreciate it.



2. My daughter is in the third grade, nine years old. The only time she does NOT listen to this cd is when we are camping. She has gone to sleep with these amazing lullabyes since she was born. I have to buy a new one as it is starting to skip!



3. This has been a family favorite since it came out. The songs are so sweet and so singable. I love giving this for a baby or shower gift. Now that my friends are expecting grandchildren, they are getting them, too!



4. I guarantee that these beautiful soothing lullabyes will ease even the fussiest of babies to sleep. I particularly like that there are instrumental versions of each of the songs, so that you can add your own voice to these night time melodies. My sixteen year old daughter still smiles when we bring this out to listen to them. These songs are a part of her and her infant years. I know someday in the future she will be singing these to her babies as well. Wonderful for your baby and perfect as a gift!



5. i love this set of lullabyes. i bought it 15 years ago when i was pregnant with my first baby. i have tried others through the years but not one of them was nearly as good as this one. i just recently had my 5th baby and after my fourth i gave the disk i had to my sister since she was having her first. so i ordered a new one for my little one and was sent down memory lane. the memories that came flooding back as each note played on broke and swelled my heart at the same time. i had forgotten how important these songs were not just for the moment but forever. i will not be giving this one away! my 4 and 7 year old have also fallen in love with the songs and now we listen or sing them every night at bed time. making memories

5 comments about Kipper: Puppy Love.

1. Our son and daughter-in-law recently moved to an area that does not receive Kipper on their TV programming. Our grandaughter (age 3) loves Kipper and missed him a lot. She was tickled pink to receive this dvd and watches it all the time.



2. We have several Kipper's but this one just doesnt hold my littlies interest like some of the others (Pools, parks and picnics, Cuddly critters etc). Even to me as an adult, it seems to drag a little and I havent watched it all the way through.
   
   Also there is a part where Kipper and friend are in a tent and think there is a monster outside, it doesnt bother my 2 yr old but my older child thought it was a little creepy.
   
   My advice - choose first from one of the other delightful Kippers.



3. In this day of frenetic entertainment, it's nice to have these calm, soothing videos; they help the kids wind down. I recommend ALL Kipper videos.



4. Kipper is enjoyable for the whole family, which is important when your kid wants to watch it with you!



5. I am in agreement with the reviews here. We received this video from grandma - she didn't know what a gem she was getting. We ADORE all the Kipper videos. They are simple and slower moving for the very young set. My kids (4 & 3) love to act out the scenes together - British accent and all!

5 comments about Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies.

1. I bought this before my son was born and he has loved it ever since he was born. Any time he is fussy and we put it on it instantly puts him at ease! We would definitely suggest this to other parents!



2. My baby, the dad and I love this cd! It makes car rides FUN! She relaxes and sleeps too!!!
   Whoever buys it won't regret!
   Baby Einstein must know what they're doing cause it is really amazing.



3. This tape is short and the melodies are not engaging for kids. It was waste of money.



4. Hello everyone,
   This CD is great!
   My son has ADD & when we are out & he gets Anxious I put this CD in his portibale CD player.
   It seems to help him calm down & better cope with things.
   I think that every parent should have this CD that has a special needs child.
   Thanks so much for putting it online for people to buy.
   Thanks Again,
   A Greatfull Mom



5. My husband and I are musicians so I inwardly groaned when we were given this CD as a gift--I'd rather play the originals rather than some synthesized kiddie version. However, on a recent road trip we got desperate when our colicky son would not stop screaming. We popped this in the CD player and it calmed him down immediately. I swear, it's like aural crack for babies. We now play it at bedtime to help calm him down and it still works. You may not love this CD, but your baby will.

5 comments about Mr. Bach Comes to Call.

1. Our family has listened to almost the whole "Classical Kids" series and I must say the whole series is such excellent work.
   
   The words are clearly spoken, the story flow very good and the music provided good dramatic emphasis at the right parts. My young kids were captivated. I'm just happy that they have developed an appreciation for classical music through this series which is their first exposure to this genre, alongside with popular cartoons on TV (which I try to limit!)



2. We got this audio book series for our daughter when she was 8 years old. She is 12 now and she is still listening and loving those audio books.
   The combination between radio-theater with classical music is perfect.
   
   I am a grownup and I love listening to those CDs.



3. We got this cd when my daughter was 4 years old and we have not tired of listening to it after 3 years. We all love Mr Bach and of course we pronounce his name correctly.
   
   The story really touched me as my Grandmother was a musician and was also a German speaker. Many of the things that Mr. Bach says in the story sound like her speaking again, although it has been 40 years since I have heard her voice.
   
   I like the fact that the series has some very different story lines, but all really familiarize one with the composers music.



4. I loved this CD and so did my kids, 6 year olds. They learned a lot about Bach and his music. I hear them singing pieces written by Bach to themselves. I'd recommend this one to anyone.



5. The product itself was excellent however I was greatly disappointed that it did not arrive until December 26 (ordered on 12/7/07).

5 comments about All About Garbage & Recycling.

1. My son is 3 and did not like this movie. He loves trash trucks and it was all about "Recycling" in DETAIL and no trash trucks in action. Just keep that in mind if purchasing.



2. This video does not keep my child's attention as well as other "sanitation" videos. My son still enjoys watching it.



3. I have to say, my 5 and 7 year old sons love this video! It is funny and smart, and my 5 year old can not get enough of the car crusher scene. We just ordered all of their other ALL ABOUT movies because we were impressed with this one. You can't beat the price!



4. I was really excited about this video as my son LOVES trash trucks. He is so annoyed with it. He is 2, so maybe an older child might like it as there is a lot of talking and not much action. I was disappointed with all of the all about videos I ordered. He does not like any of them.



5. I purchased this DVD for my two sons, ages 6 and 9. Both seem to enjoy watching it. I do think it is better suited for the younger child, but both found it educational without being too serious. We viewed the DVD together and found the new format featuring Backpack Jack and his friends very appealing. Hope there are more to come.