No comments about God's Wonderful World.

4 comments about Smilin' Island of Song.

1. This CD has the feel of a 12 year old going to visit their grandmother in the islands and hearing all of the stories and songs that go with it. It's so full of love, fun and knowledge, it just feels like a big musical hug. A warning, there is a lot of talking on the disc as "Mother B" explains the upcoming song, but that's actually the fun of it. There's lots of info on the CD, giving the child a nice image of island life, while also giving a mello combo of calypso and reggae music. Overall, the music is wonderfully warm and enjoyable while hearing Cedella Marley tell island tales completes the package.



2. I first purchased this cassette as a Young Teacher working in Early Childhood Education. The Music for Little People's Series has never failed me, and I love reggae. Many years later, this is still a favorite of mine, and now my daughter's (almost 2)and of My Center's ( 111 children at a NAEYC accreditated facility!) I have tested it on Hundreds of children ages 6 weeks through 6 Years and always seen swaying happy children enjoying the music. You can't go wrong with this one!



3. The tracks are so well that I never thought that it was really the CD that I ordered,because I ordered it with the Love and trust that I have on the Artist herself not that I heared it play before and its really the right taste for my kid, she is turning 12months on the 19/02/99.



4. I bought this CD because I want my 16month old child to have an awareness and appreciation for the folk songs of the caribbean. This CD is a good start. Our favorite tracks are Tingalaya, Chi Chi Buddo, Elena, Sweet Guava Jelly, Banana Boat and Brown Girl In The Ring. I would recommend this CD for it's rythym, melody, authenticity and lack of pretense.

5 comments about On the Good Ship Lollipop.

1. I checked this cd out from the library for my kids (6 1/2 & 3 1/2) and now I am going to purchase a copy for ourselves. Not only did they enjoy it, but I did as well. I initially checked it out for the Teddy Bear's Picnic song, but I was very happy to see that every single track on the record was excellent. Our favorite has become the song about their band and how they sing A-Cappella and their voices are their instruments. I can't say enough good things about this cd and these singers/songs. LOVE IT!



2. This CD is a unique blend of child friendly content and adult friendly presentation. Filled with songs your kids will recognize and sing along to, but won't make you cringe if they insist on an endless repeat during your next road trip. No squeaky character voices, no product placement, no objectionable content, just straight forward all male acappella talent. It's so good you'll find yourself singing along to the CD and humming the tunes to yourself when your alone.



3. we love to wake up to this one. it has doowop/acapella versions of some classic children's songs.
   
   a couple of the songs are kind of annoying after, say, the third go-around (shoo-fly, doggie in the window) but overall it's a fun collection.



4. "I'm So Glad" is one of many catchy tunes on The Goodship Lollipop. This tune is catching on around the country thanks to Noggin & Jack's Big Music Show. Jerry Lawson, former lead singer of the Persuasions debuts his new group "Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town" on this wonderful new kid's show. You can learn more about this fabulous a cappella group at www.jerrylawson.biz -They've got lots more music geared for folks of all ages. Not to be missed!



5. After much unsuccessful searching for anything by "Jerry Lawson & The Talk of the Town" as they're credited by Noggin (and Noggin's failure to respond to my emails) in order to find "I'm So Glad" -- a song my son ADORES -- I finally stumbled onto the Persuasions. I don't know if it's a different group of a capella singers accompanying Lawson from the singers in the Noggin video, but the song is the same and sounds terrific.
   
   I'm so glad -- that the Noggin exposure led me to this whole CD and to discover this group -- I'll definitely be getting some of their other CDs as well!

No comments about Brighten The Day - songs to celebrate the seasons.

5 comments about Playtime Favorites.

1. I bought this CD for my 3 yr old nephew. It is the CD that he asks for every time he gets in the car now.



2. My son and I enjoy listening to this CD several times during the day. Love the different styles to each song.



3. My son LOVES this CD, along with Toddler Favorites, also by Music for Little People. Every single time we get into the car, he wants to listen to "Twinkle" (what he calls both of the CD's). I think it's a pretty enjoyable listen, and I don't really mind hearing it over and over and over...The tunes are quite catchy. I especially like the tone of boy(?)'s voice who sings "London Bridge is Falling Down", "Old Roger", and a few others. At first I thought it was a female singing, but there is a certain quality to the singer's voice that convinced me it was a pre-pubescent boy. Good choice.



4. My daughter loves this CD. Almost every song is a pleaser and has her saying "more, more." It's a little sing-songy but well worth it.



5. I stumbled upon this CD in our local library for my 2 going on 3 year old daughter. She immediately fell in love with this CD! And I was not annoyed by the grown up singers or the children. (let's face it, most children's CDs can grate your nerves after a while). We took it with us for a road trip and she listened to it on her big brother's CD player. Talk about a quiet ride!! Who needs a DVD player in the truck?! We also used it as the background music at her third birthday party. It was a bonafide hit! All the kids loved it and all the mothers kept asking, "Where did you get this CD? It's great!" I'm buying two copies!

5 comments about A Child's Celebration of Dance Music.

1. This is another great CD from the "Music for Little People" series. It's got great oldies that everyone knows. All the songs make you want to get up and dance! This is music that your kid's will love and you'll love it too.



2. I don't know who likes this CD more, my 18 month old twins or their grandparents!
   
   Barbara Ann was an instant hit with the twins and nothing is cuter than seeing them dancing around the house singing ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba with or without the music playing.



3. A CHILD'S CELEBRATION OF DANCE MUSIC is a wonderful collection of music put out by the Music for Little People label. There aren't very many people familiar with the albums released by Music for Little People, but thier label produces some of the best collections of popular music suitable for families that I have ever come across. Most of their albums are centered around a theme or type of music (Country, Rock and Roll, etc.) and it's all good stuff sung by the original artists. No Britney Spears or boy band songs here. Instead, songs that at one time were fairly popular, but that are now somewhat obscure are brought together with a few better known hits. This collection includes songs that are fun to dance to. Some of my favorites include:
   
   "Twist" by Chubby Checker
   
   "Disco Duck" by Rick Dee and His Cast of Idiots
   
   "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5
   
   "Palisades Park" by Freddy Cannon
   
   "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
   
   Children and adults will both delight these songs. I can attest that I've used the album for small dance parties I've had with my friends, as major music for a 50s theme meal at a summer camp, and played it many times on the children's radio show I once djed and produced and on the webradio show I currently host. So, "Come on baby, let's do the twist."



4. My children, ages 2 and 4, absolutely love this CD! It's great for road trips in the car or when the children need a little exercise. Most of the songs were released before my time, but I've learned all the words. It makes a great gift for baby-boomers too.



5. IT HAS SOME GREAT DANCING TUNES-NO DOUBT. IT MAKES YOU WANT TO GET UP AND SHAKE YOUR BOTTY. I LOVE IT. MY SON, WHOM IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED FOR, IS A BIT LESS ENTHEUSTAIC.

3 comments about I Got Shoes.

1. being the mother of 8 children it is hard to please everyone (ages 18 to newborn)in the car at the same time. this cd is one of the few cds we have that we do not skip over songs. we love this cd.



2. I love giving this cd as a gift, to teachers or childcare providers, or new moms. It's kids' music you can stand to hear over and over (and some of us know just how rare that is), and feel good about exposing kids to traditions and musical concepts they might not otherwise encounter. We listen to the numbers songs in the car, we sing the shoo-fly song when we go walking--it's been a gift to my little family to have these songs added to our lives.



3. Although folk isn't a style a music much heard by anyone but its devotees, there can be some real treasures in this section. Sweet Honey in the Rock is one of them. As a young teenager, I find that this music doesn't fit into the "fuddy-duddy" image that young people today think of as Folk. Sweet Honey provides you with cool, soulful tunes, with beat and fire to spare. Try listening to "Young and Positive", and see if that doesn't bolster your self-esteem. The complex harmonies appeal to me especially, since I am a singer, but to the uninitiated ear, they are pure ecstasy. This is a rare and amazing gem in the soup of today's music!

5 comments about A Child's Celebration of Christmas.

1. I first bought this CD 6 years ago for my daughter, it is a wonderful break from the regular Holiday music. Abollto is sweet and brings back past family Christmas. The Takeover Before Christmas will remind you that Christmas is for the kids not the companies. This year the CD was broken and I am buying a replacement for my daughter and myself. A great CD for families with kids or anyone else.



2. The Singing Dogs version of Jingle Bells was kind of cute although it did sound cutesy. Someone helped my whole dorm at my old school act it out.



3. My family received this as a gift and found it very disappointing. First, the good: There are a couple of wonderful selections here, including Gene Autry's Rudolph and the absolutely beautiful Arbolito. I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas is also good. (That's why I gave it the two stars.)However, many of the selections seems very un-Christmas-like, PARTICULARLY The Takeover Before Christmas, which appears in the middle of the cd. This is a totally inappropriate and out-of-place selection that ruins the flow of the entire cd, in my opinion. Also, Spike Jones' All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth is WAY annoying - sounds like Mr. Hanky of South Park fame is singing it.



4. I bought this for my 5-year-old daughter, who hated it. I don't really see how the content will appeal to a child--it is tongue-in-cheek, not the simple celebration of Christmas that the title promises. Why they included "The Takeover before Christmas"--unemployment, divorce, corporate takeover--is beyond me. There are *much* better offerings in MFLP's line (for instance, Children's Favorites) than this one, at least for small kids.



5. I was very dissapointed with this CD. We thought it would be lot's of fun, something different. We put it on while trimming the Christmas tree - by the time we got to the singing dogs we had had enough. However, if you are looking for something non-traditional - this may be for you.

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.

4 comments about The Ben Gunn Society.

1. I stumbled across the Ben Gunn Society on a Stoner Rock Internet radio station. I guess the association is due to one of the band members having been a web master for Fu Manchu. Maybe they dropped a freebie off at the station or something. Anyway, I really liked it. I'd never read Treasure Island, but I enjoyed the clear, melodic music, mostly acoustic and sometimes with a hammond organ. Good stuff. I really love Red X and Cosmic Wind. The singer's Russian accent is nice and adds distinction to the songs. Search for their home page, they have several full mp3s to download and listen to.
   
   I don't remember if the Ben Gunn Society induced me to buy Treasure Island and read it to my children, but I did. Knowing the story of Treasure Island does help elements of the album, like the many cheese references, seem a lot less abstract. The kids really enjoyed the book, so on a lark I let them listen to the Ben Gunn theme from the website. They LOVED it!! I had to print out all the pictures for them to color and went ahead and bought the CD for them-- well, us. Their favorite song is Hey, Monkey!
   
   It's not a children's CD, in my opinion, but seems quite enjoyable for the family. There are, just like Treasure Island, lots of references to rum and grog. The song True Pirates does include references to "wenches" and mentions they "make love." That's about all the most sensitive persons would probably find objectionable for kids.
   
   P.S. My Feb '06 order included a note that they will soon be recording a new album.



2. Why should pirates get all the glory? Finally, an album that gives due credit to a scraggly beach bum with the munchies!
   "Ben Gunn" is chock full of fun, quirky lyrics and melodies that go down easy and are hard to shake. My 4-year-old really digs it and is getting into the whole pirate thing as a result. (Though I'll have to explain the references to rum and wenches later.) Not since They Might Be Giants' "No!" have we enjoyed listening to a new CD together. It certainly satiates a craving for indie rock that doesn't take itself too seriously, while keeping my little buckeroo happy, too. Great for car rides, a bad day at work and chillin' out with a bottle of Captain Morgan's.



3. I found this CD sort of by accident. I was looking for the old Treasure Island DVD (the one from the thirties, not the Disney flop) and some how I reached this disc. After hearing the downloads, I couldn't stop laughing, so I ordered it. Is this a real society? The whole CD is so much fun and wacky. I noticed that someone said it's great for children, it is, but I love it myself. The guy singing is so serious, yet he's talking about cheese (lots of it), bananas, monkeys, wenches, grog. In one song there is a list of different apples. Anyway the address on the CD is in California. Treasure Island is my favorite book, I've read it many times since I was a little boy, and even I didn't really remember the character Ben Gunn. Thanks to this strange CD, I went back and read it once more. Okay, that's it.



4. My sons are huge fans of Treasure Island and LOVE this CD. They are 6 and 8 years old. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along to. They have been palying it non-stop since we got it. It is a big hit in our house!