2 comments about Peace Is The World Smiling: A Peace Anthology For Families.

1. I have had this tape for years! I just bought a copy of the CD, too. The music is wonderful. The children in my class love it. We have learned parts of several of the songs to sing in group time. The performers are wonderful- each of them amazing artists in their own right and this compilation is great for children from birth to 99. It is a very often requested part of our classroom collection.



2. I have had this tape for years! I just bought a copy of the CD, too. The music is wonderful. The children in my class love it. We have learned parts of several of the songs to sing in group time. The performers are wonderful- each of them amazing artists in their own right and this compilation is great for children from birth to 99. It is a very often requested part of our classroom collection.

5 comments about Silly Favorites.

1. For a preschooler who love music, this is a really cute CD. Full of fun songs and favorites. I bought a childs CD player with earphones, so that the toddler this was intended for could enjoy her CD, just like the big kids with their earphones!



2. We had this collection on audio tape, and my little girl loved it, asking for songs from it regularly. Then the tape deck ate it.... I'm delighted to find it on CD, so I can go to her favorites more easily. This will be one of three CDs that LIVE in the car.



3. This CD presents a welcome change to all these super sweet over commercialized model-children's songs that we all know from tv. My three year old daughter can't get enough of Apples and Bananas and all the other songs and the tunes don't bore us either.



4. This is by far the MOST ANNOYING rendition of children's music EVER! The songs themselves aren't the worst, but the voices are simply unbearable--they kind of remind me of obnoxious children saying "nah, nah, nah, nah" over and over again. The collection overall seems rather slow--too slow even to captivate my 18 month old daughter. She completely ignores it when it is on, and she generally loves all music. My advice is to skip this one.



5. Overall I think the CD was good. However, compared to Disney Favorites and other Producers of the same songs, this CD was less entertaining and seemed to be of less quality.

5 comments about Catch a Wave: Beach Songs for Kids.

1. An extra star just for the effort. Do yourself a favor and listen to the song samples first and then ask yourself if you want to hear this for several hours a day if your child actually likes it.



2. This cd is horrible (i mean horrible). the beach boys voices are so much better than this and don't deserve to be butched up. the falsetto voice isn't falsetto, and have they ever heard of a bass voice? their voices are whiny and i'd recommend about 10 years of voice lessons before they ever try and sing again.
   
   sincerly hope they sing better next time,
   a very aggrivated kid



3. I am a huge beach boy fan myself, and I find the orignals to be better. Their voices had a melodic ring, and the real ones should not try to be impersonated. Some of these songs are OK though for kids singing them.



4. I was disappointed by the versions of Beach Boy songs on this CD. I did not feel that these versions for children added anything to the original songs. I am sure your children will enjoy the (mainly) short and joyful tunes of the original artist.



5. This is a fine CD, but the Beach Boys' voices were so angelic to begin with, that the original recordings are quite listenable for kids. My 3-year old loves the Beach Boys. Given that most of the original Beach Boys' recordings consisted of sophisticated vocal and musical arrangements (how many pop songs do you know that regularly include French horns, kettle drums, sleigh bells, banjo, and FIVE-part vocal harmonies?), you probably can't go wrong playing the original songs.

1 comments about I've Got a Dinosaur on My Head!.

1. What a wonderful surprise this cd is! The songs are so much fun and very catchy! My favorites are the Oatmeal Song and the Banana Song, but all of the songs are good -- a rare find. GREAT cd for kids. If you are an adult it will make you feel like a kid again.

5 comments about Hippity Hop.

1. This CD is simply and utterly awesome! My toddler has been bebopping to it for months and when she's old enough to understand the words, she'll also get inspiring messages from "Brand New Key." The girl's solo in the middle of that song is really nice and spreads the word about the world living together as one. "Cookie Jar" is too cute and too funny--an original and creative remake of that kid's song. I still crack up every time I hear it! But most importantly, I love that my daughter is getting a taste of different flavors of music and American culture. The musicians have taken some classics and fitted them with a new sound representative of African-American culture. I'm a white American living in France and so couldn't be more thrilled that my daughter is exposed to children's music from my country other than Barney, Seasame St., etc. I'm waiting for #2--hurry up!



2. I loved this CD and my infant son does as well. I think we will be listening to this CD well into his toddler years - it can be sung along to quite easily. I am a huge hip hop fan and I got this because I am finding that my collection is inappropriate for young kids. But this CD did not offend my hip hop sensibilities at all.



3. I hate to give this a 1 but since Amazon has decided to encode it in a format that doesn't have a decoder for Mac OS X. I can't tell if it is any better. If I have the opportunity I'd be happy to change it. In the mean time maybe some other online store has a sample that I can listen to.



4. Hippity Hop is the best childrens cd ever. It really touches my soul. I feel that all ages can get into this music. .With songs like cookie jar, everyday people, funky nursery rhymes, brand new key and others this cd gives hip hop a new meaning. Try this cd and give it your own opinion. Don't take my word for it.



5. Hippity Hop is the best childrens cd ever. It really touches my soul. I feel that all ages can get into this music. .With songs like cookie jar, everyday people, funky nursery rhymes, brand new key and others this cd gives hip hop a new meaning. Try this cd and give it your own opinion. Don't take my word for it.

5 comments about Jazz-a-Bye: The Swing Set.

1. This is such an awesome CD! My son is grown but sometimes you just need the soothing sounds of jazz!
   
   Way to go Produck Tunes! Love the CD!!!



2. This is an upbeat, excellent CD! Don't know if baby will like it, but we sure do!



3. I received this CD as a gift and loved it! As a parent and teacher, I would highly recommend Jazzabye. It is a great introduction to Jazz for kids. I have used the CD at school and at home. My kids can dance and relax to it. We can get goofy and "swing dance" or we can set it as background music and enjoy. As an adult, parent and educator I love the fact that my kids are being exposed to a musical form that children seldom get the chance to hear, and it's delivered in a fun and approachable way. I am looking forward to listening to the others in the collection. Thanks!



4. I have five children, when I put this on in the late afternoon
   after a nap it soothed them awake and into a good mood the rest
   of the day. When you can find music that can do that, its def-
   inately something you want to recommend to the whole world.



5. Listening to the latest jazz-a bye cd with my kids,
   reminds me when I first "fell" for jazz. Exposing
   the young ones to the cool sounds of "itsy bitsy spider",
   "shortning bread", and "hey diddle, diddle" told through
   the language of jazz is a must hear for adults and kids alike.
   Delightful arrangements, and strong instrumentation make this
   one of the "Koolest" cd's to have in your collection.

4 comments about A Child's Hanukkah.

1. What a mechayah! This CD is a great mix of old and new Hanukkah songs, in the form of a family home celebration that is not some tedious preachy trip. The kids joke around with each other, explain a lot of things to the adults, and vice versa, in normal conversation.
   
   As for the songs, there's a nice rendition of the Dreydel song with FIVE VERSES (in English) that explain the meaning of each letter in the game. Plus you can learn to count to 8 in Ladio with "Ocho Candelitas." Other songs are in Hebrew and Yiddish, while their original new song, "Hanukkah at Home" is in English with an Israeli-sounding tune.
   
   Among the other new songs are "In the Darkest Days," which tells how we light the candles in that long nights of the winter solstice, at the dark of the moon. Think about it -- Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev, so Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) of the month of Tevet always falls in the middle of the holiday. Even if you live in the Southern Hemisphere (where it is summer at Hanukkah time) you still light the menorah at the dark of the moon. I'd never even thought about that until I heard this song. What a great insight!
   
   Another winter song on this CD is "In The Window," which tells how Jews in the villages of Europe (and also today) lit thier menorahs on the windowsill. The song goes through lighting the eight candles of Hanukkah and how they reflect onto the newly-fallen snow in a mellow, reflective tune that is very catchy. It's another counting-to-8 song, too.
   
   Not all the songs are so serious. There's plenty of fun and some silliness here, too. The "Hanukkah Waltz" is "lighter than latkes and smoother than schmaltz," and you can "kiss the maydl with the ladle" (Mom in the kitchen?) before you do "The Hanukkah Hop." If you are a gullible little kid who falls for the tale of the "Dance of the Leftover Latkes" your older siblings tell you, then at least "We've Gotta Lotta Latkes."
   
   The last number on this CD, "Hanukkah Remembered," is an instrumental medley of all the old favorites -- enjoyed by the parents after the kids have fallen asleep at last. All in all, it's a wonderful CD -- highly recommended!



2. A friend sent us this CD and all of us (children were 3 and 6 years old last year) love it. Musically beautiful, and fun for the children, too.



3. We bought this on the recommendation of a friend and my daughter loves it. We got it when she was 3, but her interest in it has definitely grown over the past couple of years. She listens to it year round, and I like it too!!



4. Nice sounding renditions of the traditional holiday favorites. Some songs are in english and some in hebrew or yiddish. There is a bit of patter with brief hoiday explainations which would make this a good CD for non-jews but I found the patter annoying after a bit. My kids (4 and 9) enjoyed trying to mimic the accents. I liked Just In Time For Chanukah (Margie Rosenthal and Ilene Safyan) better.

5 comments about Blue Suede Shoes: Elvis Songs for Kids.

1. Our family must own 15 or 16 MFLP cd's. This is the first truly disappointing one. It is way too "cutesy" - many of the others have kids singing the songs, but in this one, the kids ruin the songs. I know that it could have been done better, because we have many other MFLP albums where children have sung classic rock n' roll and its been great. Stay away from this one! (Its gets 2 stars mainly because the music is great.) The album needs to be remixed and rerecorded. It could definitely be better.



2. I think it's great!! All of the did did a job well done. Especially 9yr old Morgan Burkes version of "All Shook Up". He had an amazing voice for being so young. I'd recommend this CD to everyone!



3. As the previous reviewer points out, there's no actual Elvis singing on this CD which is exactly why you should buy it for your kids! The recording quality of this CD is very good and the quality of the kids singing is also very good. It's all kids (no adult lead with kids in background) which definitely gets approval from our toddler. As you can see from the list of songs, the songs included on this CD are Elvis's top hits that will make you want to sing and dance. Your kids will love it and you'll love it too!



4. Nobody can do Elvis like Elvis! I am not really a big fan but kids will love the real thing. This compilation album for kids has none of the spark of Elvis. Elvis songs are short and toe-tapping. Kids do not need a special version.



5. I was looking for a collection of oldies for my children. While the titles were great, it was a huge dissapointment not to hear Elvis himself.

1 comments about Storytime Favorites: Music for Little People.

1. This has been my toddler's favorite (and therefore mine) since he was a baby. If he's in a bad mood, all I have to do is put this CD on, and the frown turns into a smile immediately. The best part is that none of the songs get on my nerves or get stuck in my head. Each song is done cleverly with quality instrumentation and fun singers.

5 comments about Shakin' a Tailfeather.

1. True blues fans will cherish this collection of songs, most of them adaptations of traditional African-American, southern blues music. I grew up on "Little Sally Walker" and the "Name Game" --these songs were part of the rich, cultural stew that made up my life in urban Philadelphia. I am delighted that Taj Mahal has documented these treasures so that I can now share them with my 3 suburbo-kids, who otherwise would not have a clue. Be advised -- this album is not for the feeble, folk-singer fan but for kids and parents with a love for danceable, singable music with soul.



2. I absolutely hated this CD. I found it to be grating and irritating. I have played it once and have never played it again. I adore Taj Mahal, was raised on folk music like Pete Seegar and Woody Guthrie, but I am NOT a fan of the gospel music sound. That is what I would call this album. I heard very little Taj Mahal on it, also, which is bothersome. Get Shake Shugaree. It's awesome.



3. AS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER, THIS CD IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!! THE CHILDREN LOVE TO DANCE AND SING ALONG, AND I ENJOY IT TOO. NOW, IF ONLY I COULD GET THEM TO STOP SHAKIN' A TAILFEATHER WHEN IT'S TIME TO CLEAN UP......



4. Ever since I was 3, I have had a constitutional aversion for that idiotic "Name Game" by Shirley Ellis. It is highly irritating, makes absolutely no sense and is darned annoying to boot. It has no saving grace, nothing to recommend it and makes jackhammers sound soothing by comparison.

   I would have given this 4 or maybe even 5 stars, but including the idiotic "Name Game" cost this CD. Everything else on this CD is great, especially "Follow the Drinking Gourd." That is a good history lesson about slavery and about using a sky map. An excellent exercise for children (and adults) is to find the Northern Star and identify other constellations. This is a great teaching tool.

   Leave off the vile "Name Game" and you've got a good collection here.




5. This is a CD that I can actually share with my children -- I was enjoying many of these songs in my own youth. Check out cuts 9-11: "Land of 1000 Dances," "Jim Dandy," and "The Name Game," which is an all-time favorite of mine. Listen also to the deep funk of "Shortnin' Bread." This may be a children's CD, but there's plenty for an adult to enjoy. Just be careful playing "The Name Game" with kids named Chuck or Mitch.