Amazon.com

As with other Ellipsis Arts releases, African Lullaby is more than a stellar music collection. Its delightful liner notes provide ample context for these "love songs for children" and the collection's innovative earth-friendly packaging is a work of art unto itself. Commencing with the bewitching Zulu harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Thula Mtwana" sets the tone, creating an atmosphere of warmth, safety, and peace, and is followed by a baker's dozen that reflect the gentle rhythms of an abundantly diverse continent. "Kounandu Deni" marries the dancing melody of Malian guitar and African harp with lyrics of paternal providence. Broadway's Sarafina! and The Lion King cast member Ntomb'khona Dlamini wails soulfully on "Thula Thula," and "Chitsidzo" is a mystical reverie of parental love and spousal longing accompanied by the intense beauty of a mbira (thumb piano). Standing head and shoulders above others in its class, African Lullaby is testimony to the awesome power of music. --Paige La Grone ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Love it!
I wanted to give my three children (6, 5, and 3) a taste of African music and this cd was quite the find! They love it and request it often.

Great for parents too....
I love this cd!!!. It has such a peaceful and melodic sound with different rythems and chants. It's a definate for any child's collection. It's amazing what an effect it has as well, usually within the first few songs, my baby is snoozin'.. and I'm relaxing as well. If you want a true taste of world music made especially for children this does the trick. You really get a sense of tradition and culture - You won't be dissappointed

African Lullaby
This is the most amazing CD we have bought in the recent past! It's become an instant favorite.

Only night time CD for a year
My daughters (ages 6 & 3) love this CD. I bought it a year ago and the two times I've tried something else at bedtime, they've demanded this be put back in. I even used it to go to sleep on a 13 hour flight to New Zealand. Very relaxing and great for everyone!

Both my kids love this CD
Both of our children, a 4yr old girl and 2yr old boy, grew up listening to this CD from the days they were born. Of all the CD's we own, if you ask either one what they want to here at bedtime, they'll both still say "Tu-lah" ( they get the name from the first track)

All of the songs are beautiful, and very peaceful. This is the perfect lullaby CD ... Read more

Album Description

These easy to learn activity songs are designed for pre-school and primary grade learners.They tap children's natural desire to move, sing and make-believe.From a tiny chick curled inside an egg, to the vigorous movements of a galloping pony, a full range of images and movement possibilities are explored.While clapping, stamping, turning, reaching, falling, throwing, catching, bending, twisting, crawling, walking, hoppping, running and soaring, the whole child is engaged in developing movement skills, enriching language, experiencing basic math and science concepts, and stimulating imaginative powers. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A "must have" for all families with young children
My 3 and 5 year old boys request this cd all the time and really enjoy doing the activities suggested by the lyrics. We even bring it in the car so they can "wiggle" like worms in their car seat and do the "freeze" Most importantly, I love it too which as any Mom knows is essential when you have to listen to the same thing over...and over....and over.... The kids seem to like all the songs but my personal favorite is "When I'm down, I get up and dance" and I can't think of a better way to start the day than with a chorus of "So happy you're here" You won't be disappointed.

so happy hap's here!
Hap Palmer's calming voice and catchy lyrics are infectous. Children can easily pick up the fingerplay directions in these songs.
Every song has educational & fun potential. A teacher/parent could use this cd to encourage gross motor skills, listening/following directions, learning body parts, etc, or just plain having a blast!

The titles are of the songs are easily remembered by kids ( I'm a pretzel, Jack in the box...) and soon you'll be fielding requests for their favorites!

Whether you teach or have kids or even babysit this cd is great addition to your collection.

Top Notch Music for young kids
I bought this tape to use with a pre-school class. Sometimes CD's do not meet my expectations. Not true with this one. It is excellent and I use it a lot.

Great Way for Little Ones to Learn
I am a speech and language therapist working in 4 rural school districts in New Mexico. I have 28 years of experience. Children from the age of 3 to 7 love Hap Plamer's songs. They are slow paced and give children time to act out the meaning of the songs as well as learn the words. Mr. Palmer has a calming voice that children like to listen to. I have found it helpful for increasing listening, memory, turn-taking and vocabulary skills. Young children learn best by movement rather than paper work at their seats. They like to teach others the songs, too.

An Excellent Early Childhood Resource
I use this CD in my special needs kindergarten. The kids love it!! I am rather musically challenged, but this CD allows me to bring music and movement into my classroom. It is easy to follow and includes the words to the songs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hundreds of compilation recordings have been thrust on the market in recent years on the theory that classical music makes a nice, non-threatening accompaniment to everything from working out to making love. And here we have one compilation promising to make your baby smarter. It's offensive enough that the music featured on these compilations is spliced up so that the most you hear of any work is a single movement; what's really annoying is the poor quality of so many of the featured performances. So it is some consolation that the artists here include such 20th-century legends as the Cleveland Orchestra under Szell and the Budapest String Quartet with Mieczyslaw Horszowski. Of course if these folks were alive, one can imagine their violent objection to this presentation of their work. --Gwendolyn Freed ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Happy Baby means Happy Parents!
We were presented with this CD at the hospital when my son was born - under former Georgia governor Zell Miller's program for newborns. My son is 14 months old now and listens to it several times a day. I made a copy to put in the car and one day we were driving along and he was getting very upset and began screaming, since we were trapped in traffic and I was unable to pull over immediately I turned on the music in hopes of "drowning him out" and to my amazement in less than a minute he had calmed down and even waving his arms in time to the music. I don't know yet if it will improve his SAT scores (we have a few years yet to worry about that!) but I do know that he enjoys it and has an early exposure to classical music and hopefully a later appreciation, but for now it helps us relax and enjoy each others company! I would recommend it HIGHLY for any parent and/or child and the sooner you play it the better! It's well worth the $!

You could do worse, but....
This CD was a sweet, daffy idea from the office of our former governor of Georgia, Zell Miller. And copies are still being handed out to every new parent in Georgia (including me), courtesy of Zell's successor. As a freebie, it's great, but if you're going to spend money, may I suggest that there are better choices? Anything by Elgar, Vaughan-Williams, or Mozart seems to entertain and soothe my two-month-old. Incidentally, he also enjoys Scottish folk music (although I have yet to expose him to bagpipes...). Basically, the jury's still out on whether classical music will make him more intelligent. But any exposure to music will certainly enrich his life, and any classical music will serve to introduce you and your baby to its beauty.
Alas, however, this is one of the worst compilations I think I have ever heard, so if you would prefer a compilation, why not spend a few minutes checking around on Amazon for another?

You're Never Too Old to Build Your Brain!
This is the finest and most enjoyable collection of classical music I have ever found on a single CD. Whoever was in charge of compiling the songs for this CD must have really had an amazing taste in music as well as a thorough understanding of the kinds of musical quality which really put the human mind at ease.

I personally don't have any children. If I did, they would be hearing this CD from the time I bring them home from the hospital. It's not because it "builds their brains". I'm for one am not certain that any particular kind of music, no matter how good it is, will actually make a baby smarter than if they had not heard it. If child psychologists out there say I'm wrong, then I probably am. But whether it builds or not, it certainly relaxes. It certainly eases the stress. If you're buying this for your child, don't think that it will necessarily cause your child to get potty trained faster than your neighbor's kid; or that your kid won't grow up to become manager of McDonald's. (Can you imagine him coming back twenty years later? "If only you would have played me some Bach when I was a baby, I'd be making six figures! Well, I hope you're happy!")

Speaking of Bach, he's all over the place on this CD. There's also some good Mozart along with other classical greats, including "Fur Elise" and Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Buy this CD. If you don't like it, then classical music probably isn't for you.

A CD is just a CD...
...But intelligence is hereditary.

Doesn't bode well for the people who flocked to buy this disc to "raise baby's IQ."

P.S.: You don't get muscles like Popeye's from eating spinach either, and there is no Tooth Fairy.

Forget Baby - it's Mine!
I love my child, but the first time I heard this CD, It immediately went from her recorder to mine. I take it practically everywhere I go. I know it's technically "Her" CD, but the selections are so soothing; and you need that type of comfort when stuck in traffic. Honestly, we both enjoy it - and I'm glad someone thought enough to give it as a gift. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not your typical wretched children's music
The whole family loves this music (although I shouldn't presume to speak for the 5 month old)and that is more than I can say for most children's music. The singer, Larry Groce has a very good singing voice and his interpretations are great. The music is upbeat without being saccharin. The variety is a definite bonus and most of the songs are timeless classics. We hate hate hate the Wee Sing collection but we love this particular Disney set (we have volumes 1-4). We live in a particularly desolate part of New England and in order to get anywhere worth going we have to drive a minimum of 2-3 hours--this music is so helpful in the entertainment dept!

nice selection of children's songs
This is a nice selection of songs, featuring a couple of nursery rhyme medleys and many classics such as Alouette, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, and the Alphabet Song.

While the selections seem well thought out, they are all performed by the same singers (Larry Groce and the Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus) which detracts slightly from the enjoyment. Another Disney series, 'Classic Disney', features songs from Disney movies and is performed by the original artists.

A nice value.

Not Bad, but I hope not the best
The singer here (Larry Groce) is not a complete unknown; back when we were kids ourselves, he had a big hit with the novelty "Junk Food Junkie". Those who remember that song's jokey-folkie style (and thin tenor) will have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. Not surprisingly, he does much better with the silly sing-along stuff than the songs which were meant to be taken more-or-less seriously, where he seems a bit clueless. Of course, they're all great songs, and our baby seems to like it fine, plus it's way better than Wee Sing or any of the other children's collections I know of. But I'm still hoping to find a children's CD by somebody who knows how to sing "Clementine" or "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore".

The BEST Music Anthology for Kids - ever!
This CD is number three of four. All are superb and a "must own." All of the traditional favorites are on these CD's, and one of the most impressive features is that the musical styles represent so many of the different cultures in our great Melting Pot. This CD in particular has two medleys of nursery rhymes which are nice for younger kids especially, plus a very nice rendition of "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" which is a pleasing representation of early gospel-style music.

There is nothing mixed in here that was unfamiliar to me, just fine renditions of the classics - and in a traditional non-quirky style. The Disneyland characters only show up singing on occasion - once per CD max. The fact that there are four CDs is great, too, because listening to the same thing over and over again can be irritating, no matter how good it is. I am fortunate not to have tried too many other anthologies for kids before finding this one - this is THE BEST and totally fulfilled my interest in exposing my kids to great traditional American music. This series is the perfect thing to keep in the car. I love it, and my kids do, too.

BEST BUY!
After hunting for two years to find the perfect tape (CD) for the car, I finally found it! It has a lot of the "classic" kid songs and is very well done. It was lost for a day and my daughter was heart broken! Can't say enough about how great it is. Now I can throw the rest out! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

kid favorite
My kids loved this so much that they wore the tape out! Now I'm looking to buy the CD.

Disney brings SMILES!!!
I love all the Disney songs on all of the "Greatest Hits" CD's! Any Disney song makes me smile and I enjoy listing to the new and old songs from my favorite movies!

Great music but save big bucks with the 5-disc set!
This CD is great. It has both old and new Disney classics. But...for a little more money you can get all these songs and about 80 more. The 5 disc set sold here at Amazon has 99 Disney classics and sells for about the price of 2 CDs. The 5 disc set includes songs such as Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah from the no-longer released Song of the South, songs from the theme parks like the Electric Light Parade theme, It's a Small World from the NY World's Fair...it has them all! Buying the CDs seperately you probably spend twice as much + shipping; save some money--the 5-CD set is the way to go.

I liked it more then my kids!
It is a cute collection of songs but my kids didnt really get into it to much.

Classic Disney Music
I was looking for a CD with the Mickey Mouse theme music and it was impossible to find a copy. I saw this on the Disney website and bought it. The music was great and it had the theme music. These songs bring back memories as you recall the Disney characters from Mickey to Bambi to Snow White. Also the price was right! Better than any store. If your looking for this kind of music than you can't beat this CD! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The best lullabyes!
This is truly my favorite children's CD! I came across it when I was younger and babysat. The family I worked for played it each evening for the children as they laid down to sleep. Now that I have my own child I wanted to have it for her. It's been a few years since I stopped working for them and unfortunately I could not remember the name, just what the cover looked like. Now, thanks to Amazon I have found it and am enjoying it over and over. The songs are beautiful, heartfelt and so soothing. I especially like the fact that there are two parts to the CD. You can hear the songs with lyrics and also without. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Delightful and soothing
My husband bought this tape when our fisrt baby was born. It played every night when all 3 of our sons were babies. It has the most wonderful melodies and the sweetest words. One side is the singing version of the songs, and the flip side is just the music. My father in law enjoyed hearing the music on the monitor so much when our kids slept over, that he eventually went out and bought a copy for himself!! It's always the gift I give when buying for someone's first baby. You can't go wrong with this CD.

20 year old and still a fan!
My mom used to play this tape for me when I was a little girl. We would always listen to "Tomorrow We'll Go to the Fair" the night before the county fair opened and the first words I ever spelled out were I L-O-V-E Y-O-U. This music has special meaning to me since I listened to it as a child and I would recommend it to all parents as a lullaby tradition to start with their kids. I hope it will mean as much to your and your kids as it has to me and my mom now that I'm 20 years old and all grown up! This CD is truly a child's gift and it wont wear out like our old cassette tape finally did.

the ultimate bedtime music
We were given this cassette for our newborn baby. He's now almost 10 and it is the standard in our nighttime ritual. I can't count the number of times this has been played. The tape is now wearing thin and we need the CD. The music is as beautiful as the first time we heard it. It provides a gentle, soothing and very very comfortable end to each day. There is something to be said for constants these days.

Treat yourself and your little one to this beautiful CD
I was given this CD as a gift when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was told it would put her to sleep when nothing else worked. Not only was that true, but both my husband and I found ourselves listening to it when we were in the car, at home, etc., whether or not our daughter was in need of a nap. We just love it. I make a point to buy it for each of my expectant friends. It's truly a treasure that will always hold fond memories for us, even when our baby isn't a baby anymore. ... Read more

Album Description

Getting kids up and moving is what Greg & Steve do best. Their version of the classic "Goin'On A Bear Hunt" set to music is an instant classic. Pass out beanie babies for a rockin' good time with the "Beanie Bag Dance". Other movement fun includes old dance favorites with a new beat with "Get Ready, Get Set, Let's Dance". For kids ages 3-9. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for All Ages!!
I work in a child care center and we use this CD in classes as young as 1 and a half, all the way up to our 6 year old room! Our kids love to do the actions together. It's great fun!

wow! This is great!
I do home day care and the children love this when I put it in! Money well spent! ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Great for during your pregnancy, too!
Great for pregnancy and baby - I played this lullaby music all of the time while I was pregnant with my daughter Casey and now she loves it! I like to listen to it, too! Linda has a beautiful voice and I love the way she turns even regular songs like "We Will Rock You" into lullabies. The soothing words of "Dedicated to the One I Love..." help reinforce feelings of bonding towards your baby, even before he or she is born. The beat of the music seems to be at the same speed of a person's breathing as he or she is drifting off to sleep, and there is often a heartbeat-like percussive sound throughout. I highly recommend this CD for every baby and mother!

My 2-month old baby started smiling!!
I have a 2 month old son who has done almost nothing but cry and scream, due to being colicky. After I got the CD, I popped it into the CD Player in his room and we listened to it. I had tears in my eyes and he started smiling! We listened to the whole CD and he never stopped throughout. Recently I have bought another CD with the sound of a heartbeat in the background, that was supposedly clinically proven to stop babies from crying. It didn't work at all. I had already given up hope, until we listened to this CD. Thank you, thank you, thank you Linda!!I find this CD to be very soothing for both adults and children!

Babies love this!
My twin sons are a month old and love this cd. They calm immediately when I put it on. It has bought me time almost every day and that makes me love this CD as well!! Beautiful version of Devoted to You that makes me cry every time I sing along to my boys! Every nursery should have a copy of this one.

A LULLABYE CD!!!!!
I cannot believe I was totally unaware of this cd until recently! I have collected Ronstadt albums since I was in high school, in fact she was the very first live concert I ever saw (that I wanted to go see)! This cd is one you can put on and fall asleep to and enjoy it the entire time, fooey on the bambino's needing music, this cd is for me! I love it!

I don't know if it's that I'm getting older or what but I really enjoy cd's that I can put on and listen to over and over either during the day or to sleep to. Don't miss out on this one, it's not every day that Linda Ronstadt sings you to sleep.

"Before you go to bed my baby, whisper a little prayer for me my baby".

A great CD!!!
We received this as a gift when my daughter was born. We put it on for her every night when she goes to bed. We have been doing that for 5 years and 9 months now!!!!

This is such a good CD for getting a child down at night. And heck, it helps get me down at night too!!!

When this first came out, the MSRP was a lot higher. Now at this price, how can you refuse. A great, great purchase for new parents!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A step up from the previous CD
DISNEY CHANNEL HITS: TAKE 2 is quite a bit better than the previous CD in the series, and I'd suggest picking this one up if you enjoy Disney Channel Original Movies or TV shows.

Highlights of DISNEY CHANNEL HITS: TAKE 2 are:
*Good Life (Jesse McCartney) - "Good Life" is a remake, and it's from the movie Stuck in the Suburbs. It's a fun song that doesn't make too much sense, but it's a nice summery song.
*Over It (Anneliese van der Pol) - Who knew that Anneliese could sing so well? I love this song, and I think she's got a great voice. This is definately my favorite song on the CD.
*Whatever Life (Haylie Duff) - As cheesy as the lyrics to this song are, I think it's a really cute song that's somewhat inspirational. Teenagers can definately relate to the lyrics, in my opinion ("Did I hear you say, 'whatever', turn and walk away, forever? Was it my mistake? Or did we just, get too close?")

All the songs on DISNEY CHANNEL HITS: TAKE 2 are great, and there are also some bonus music videos. "Get Your Shine On" and "Good Life" are my two favorite videos, but, once again, they're all really good.

Recommended to pre-teens and teens who still watch Disney Channel regularly.

Overall grade: B

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hayden Panettiere Is awsome singer, this has the full version of My Hero Is You its amazing! and the Remix to Good Life by Jesse McCartney is great too.Also Love The Remixs to the Cheetah Girls songs!!!!!!!!!! Hate the song Out Of This World its from Zenon Z3 I hated the movie too.Like the song Anyone But Me witch is also from Zenon Z3 sung by Christy Carlson Romano this cd also has ive In sung by her.Annelise Van Der Pols song Over It is acorss a stand out same as Haylie Duffs A Whaterver Life!Album has another new song from Halloweentown High its called Strang World song by Jessie Payo...other songs are When The Rain Falls and Notice Me by the Zetta Bytes & Perfectly by Huckapoo.....+ Good Life original version by Jesse McCartney and The Cheetah Girls song Cheetah Sisters. This CD also comes with a bonus DVD with music videos to Dive In:Christy Carlson Romano,Good Life & Get Your Shine On:Jese McCartney,Cinderella:the Cheetah Girls! amazing cd and dvd must have........... ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fantastic!
If it were possible to rate this recording ten stars, or twenty, I would. I grew up listening to this one on long car rides, at home, and lots of other places. The songs are fun and comforting, and if I'm any indication, even adults will find them enjoyable to listen to.

Great children's songs!!!
I have all four volumes of the Disney CDs. I would note, for the record, that these are not really Disney movie songs, but just classic children's songs put on a CD by Disney. I think they're great!!! We listen to them all the time. There are one or two that aren't my favorite on there, but otherwise I love them. My children (2-1/2 years and 14 months old) listen to music often at home and in my car.

Attention Christians
My son received the cassette as a gift for his 2nd birthday. I saw the Disney label and thought, "Oh-no, more witchcraft trying to make its way into my family through my child." I am referring to the fact that Disney media almost always has "magic", spells, nature worship, violence, evil images, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we would be able to keep this tape. We danced and sang with these "catchy" classic children's tunes all the time until he experimented a few months later by pulling the tape out not realizing that he was destroying his favorite music collection. I looked in stores without any luck. I finally am ordering it from Amazon. Even though 2 years have passed, he has not lost his memory or excitement for it. Unless you and your children idolize Disney characters, this is not a disappointment.

Goofy is a fitting cover character for this CD
We own all four CD's in this series. Unfortunately, this is the least appealing of the four. The songs are second rate, the mixing is of the voices is uninspired, and the orchestration is substandard. One of my favorites, "It's A Small World," is a mechanical performance accompanied by an equally monotonous synthesized strings. Admittedly, I had high expectations for this CD. Afterall, Disney is noted for stimulating fantasy and excitement. Unfortunately, this CD is more suited for MUZAK than Disneyworld.

Wonderful Classics
This collection is a wonderful walk down memory lane! All my favorites and for many generations, too. My baby is only seven months old and is already familiar with many of the tunes on this CD and the first three, which we also own. You and your children will enjoy hearing many of your old favorites sung clearly, so you can remember the words again! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The beauty of Schoolhouse Rock in its original Saturday morning run (1973-85) was that kids watching couldn't tell whether the catchy three-minute cartoon jingles were meant to be commercials, shows, or something else entirely. That enabled overexposed TV youth to learn without realizing it between episodes of Scooby Doo and Fat Albert. Then the Brady Bunch generation became the alternative nation, and the innocence with which they took in these grammar, history, and math lessons was lost. Now comes the obligatory tribute album, Schoolhouse Rock Rocks--pleasant enough, but full of postmodern yuks and missed-the-point nostalgia that aim to celebrate but instead drain the joy from childhood memories.

Though it's somewhat interesting to hear Pavement turn "Mo More Kings" into lo-fi krautrock or Moby make "Verb: That's What's Happening" into industrial techno-pop, the performers who most successfully preserve Schoolhouse Rock's edutainment viability are those who are most cartoonish to begin with: Ween ("The Shot Heard 'round the World"), Biz Markie ("The Energy Blues"), and Daniel Johnston ("Unpack Your Adjectives"). The problem remains, nonetheless: Any revamping of these songs implies Schoolhouse Rock somehow needed to be made hipper. That none of these songs is better than its original proves how very unhip '70s kids have grown up to be. --Roni Sarig

... Read more

Reviews (28)

Groovy!
Worth buying just to hear the Mr. Morton track, by Skee-Lo, I also liked Blind Melon (w/Shannon) doing 3 is a Magic Number. Okay, this is no grammy winning CD, but interesting and fun enough to listen to more than a few times, I mean where else can you hear Moby singing about Verbs? If you want the Orignal School House Rock songs,with all those cute voices, you'll have to get the original SHR CD or better yet, buy the videos (of course, the videos we purchased have some exceedingly annoying intros by some very annoying kids and Cloris Leachman? I think that's her name, blyuck!).

Very cool
I'm a huge Schoolhouse Rock fan, so this album was definitely a treat. The songs are already classics, so the individual artists' interpretations take center stage here. Another good thing about this CD is that in many ways it sums up the sound of 1996 in rock, alternative, techno, R&B. There's some fun stuff here, and it all starts with the original theme music, just to add a little more irony to the disc. A great buy.

Pavement rocks
Being a huge Pavement fan, I was mostly interested in their cover of No More Kings. Their reworking of the tune is great, definately on par with their eariler work, and at the very least out performs most of the S&E era B-sides.

Not worth five stars, but certainly enjoyable
There have been numerous negative reviews of this album, and several five star ratings. I do not believe that it really deserves either. I enjoy each of the bands on this album seperately, anyway, so I don't know how biased I may be. But this album is not bad. I'm also not going to say that if you necessarily liked Schoolhouse Rock (which I did, by the way) that you will like this album. You kind of need to be in touch with this kind of music.

It is a tribute album, not a reworking of old songs. Each artist puts their own touch to the songs, though some leave them closer to the way that they were originally. I personally really like Pavement, but it's a taste that most people seem to lack. So they will probably not appreciate the song as much as I do. Actually, I probably have the weirder tastes. Also a fan of Moby, both early and late, so I enjoyed his reworking of Verb. Warning though: it's more like the Moby tracks from "Everything is Wrong."

Some of the songs less touched were actually the more enjoyable tracks. Blind Melon's rendition of "Three" is wonderful and almost makes me feel like I'm listening to, say, Three Dog Night (ironic, huh?). Ween, The Lemonheads, and Better Than Ezra all do tremendous jobs keeping to the original sounds, while still making the songs their own. Same for Biz Markie's "Energy Blues." "I'm Just A Bill" is done wonderfully, and certainly gives us a different view of how the bill actually feels about all of this beurocracy.

And, hey, let's face it: Skee-Lo's "Mr. Morton" is so wonderful, I had to replay the track immediately after listening to it.

Overall, I think the album deserves four stars. Pluses: Good collection of artists reworking some of the favorite tracks, and every track is worth listening to many times. Cons: Tribute cds are just so...common.

Knowledge is power!
The album features contemporary acts covering Schoolhouse Rock songs. All of them are good, with the notable exception of Pavement's dirge-like version of "No More Kings". Everything else is a lot of fun. And if you're not careful, you may learn something before it's done. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dragon Tunes, the record, aims to fire up 2- to 6-year-old fans of the fantasy-fueled PBS show with a herd of uptempo original tunes, and it largely succeeds. Culled on the 20-track collection are good-timey, get-you-moving numbers such as "Wiggle Song," which invites movement and active listening through its directive to "Wiggle your fingers / Wiggle your toes / Wiggle your hands and / Wiggle your nose." Then there's "Touch," which has the keep-up-if-you-can lyric, "Touch your elbows / Touch your bum-bum / Touch your kneecaps / Try to keep in touch," as well as confidence-builders such as "Betcha Can" and "Try" ("And though you may be small / Each day you're growing up / And you'll be big and tall / 'Till then just strut your stuff"). Kids who carry a dragon torch for certain characters won't waste time fast-forwarding to "The Ord Shuffle," "Cassie," or the Zak-and-Wheezie-celebrating "Be a Dragon." Others will want to wag their dragon tails track by track, starting with the familiar-to-all opener "Dragon Tales Theme." Because the series devotes a segment of every half-hour show to singing and dancing, more than just the theme song will be familiar, though--something that serves to further the record's appeal. Another appeal-enhancing feature is the persistent presence of former Ohio Express singer Joey Levine as the songwriter. Parents who can recall such bubblegum hits as the Express's "Chewy Chewy" will likely chime in on Levine's cheery vibe. Like most kid-show soundtracks, this album is low on art, high on spunk, but given the instant grins it'll register, loving parents can't be helped from wondering, so what?--Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Music for the Whole Family
Sometimes it is very difficult to find children's music that the whole family can enjoy. Dragon Tales accomplishes that feat. It is also the perfect traveling CD. When the kids (2 and 4 years) get bored, we pop in this soundtrack and we all sing along. My husband even likes this music! The tunes are catchy, fun, and not overly sweet like most kids' music. I highly recommend this soundtrack but beware, you may find yourself singing these songs when the children are nowhere to be seen.

Great music for all ages!
This is a wonderful CD of Dragon Tales songs that doesn't get annoying! If you child watches the cartoon, then they will recognize many of the songs from the TV show. The CD is very energetic, and will get your kids up and dancing! Even if your child hasn't seen the cartoon, they will enjoy the music just as much. As a parent, this is one of those CD's you can enjoy along with your children. We love it!

The best kids music cd
My daughter (2 years old) LOVES this CD. To tell the truth all of us love it. She walks around the house singing "Ord's Shuffle" and "Shake your Dragon Tail". "Stretch" and "Wake Uo" are our get up in the morning songs. The catchy melody sticks in your head and you will find yourself humming it through the day. I purchased another copy for my class because my students ask for the CD everyday. It is a PERFECT purchase.
The music is great and it is well sung. You won't be disgusted by horrible singing.

The best kids cd I've heard in a long time.
I'm sooooooooooo happy I bought this cd for my one and three year olds. And they are as well. The songs are all happy tunes about topics that every parent wants to instill in their child, like making friends, trying your hardest, and how to overcome fears. I find myself listening to this cd even when my kids aren't in the car with me.

Dragon Tales Soundtrack
I bought this soundtrack because I found it on sale at a discount store and I recognized the title from the TV show. It has since then become a great investment. My 3 year old daughter LOVES this music. She puts it on, turns it up really loud and dances throughout all 20 tracks. It really is cute music- not too babyish! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Love it!
Great songs sung by a wonderful children's choir. You'll love listening to the CD as much as your child does. I highly recommend it. It was a pleasant surprise from the usual children's music.

Great for kids and adults!!
This is one of the best tapes for children that I have come across yet. My one year old loves to dance to it, and it is also great for keeping him entertained on long car rides.
Another plus: It doesn't drive me crazy. The kids singing the songs are cute without being overly sweet and annoying. I don't mind listening to this one.

Just Terrific
I heard them online and thougt it would be good for my daughter and I was right. This CD contains Children singing very clearly and the music is a clasic. This is a great CD for anywhere. My daughter listens to this CD and the Toddler Tunes and Silly Songs CD's constantly. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sandra Boynton's Rhinoceros Tap is a loopy good time--delicate piano ballads swoon over unloved peas all alone on a plate ("O Lonely Peas") and the pink-nosed object of a lovesick mouse's affection ("I Love You More Than Cheese"); a penful of pigs dig into a doo-wop celebration of their "fabulous swine" selves ("Perfect Piggies"); and a Dylan-esque dog bids his pack adieu with the mournful line, "It's sad but true/I'm 6 years old, but I feel 42" ("So Long, Doggies"). Best of all, skeptics who guessed that Boynton's first CD, the star-studded wacko revue "Philadelphia Chickens," succeeded so brilliantly because she had an army of celebrities behind her are dutybound to shush. There is but one singer here, the pleasantly even-keeled Adam Bryant, and though he lends these 15 numbers a likability that may not have translated without him, it is Boynton's crackpot wit, as well as the winning arrangements she pieced together with musical partner Michael Ford, that de! serves full credit for the way the songs winnow themselves into listeners' brains, be they 3 or 34. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sounds Good even after the 1001th Time
I bought this cd on Amazon review recommendations and I wasn't disappointed. A great cd to bring on car trips. It has a variety of songs that includes all types of music - slow, jazzy, caribbean and everything else. Even my least favorite song ("O, Lonely Peas") musically has funny lyrics. This cd appeals to both kids and adults with its catchy tunes and lyrics and as I have two toddlers who ask to hear it over and over, I give heartfelt thanks to Sandra Boyton and company.

It needs a Broadway Review!
I listened to it today and am ordering more to give away! The music is a delight to both children and adults. I only wish I could see what is in my mind's eye on screen or stage. My daughter danced though the whole disc. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What a wonderful CD to give as a present!
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.

Sweet Honey in the Rock is Fantastic!
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! ... Read more

Amazon.com

French is probably the only language in the world that can make the most trivial idea sound grandiloquent. Imagine what it can do when the poetic Romance language is set to children's songs. It entertains and educates, bien sûr (of course)! UniVerse ofSong: French is the fun and informative follow-up to UniVerse of Song: Spanish, and seems an ideal tool for starting second-language learning with elementary phrases and basic songs. Jean Rene and his versatile backing combo help make a handful of bilingual kids into lively teachers. It doesn't matter if your native tongue is English or French--the record playfully teaches kids both languages by using common French and English nursery songs such as "Frère Jacques," "Alouette," the ever-delightful "Sur le Pont d'Avignon," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Wheels on the Bus," "London Bridge," and others. Along the way, listeners can also pick up useful expressions in French that sound, well, almost diplomatic. Now, bring on the Chinese and Russian versions of UniVerse of Song, and soon we can send kids to the UN Security Council. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great CD - my kids loved it
The kids loved it. However, Global Village Kids has a French Nursery rhyme CD that I found that lists the lyrics seperately, now I can tell my two year old what the words mean, and they pick it up faster.

FANTASTIC!
I am amazed at just how much both my 2-1/2 year old girl and 9-1/2 month old son LOVE this CD! These are easily the best and most amusing renditions of Wheels on the Bus and Old MacDonald I've ever heard (Wheels on the Bus gets my little one laughing and waving his arms). And my girl has not only learned French words from the tape, she now asks me "What is the French word for ( )?" as we go about our day. This is FUN music!

Great French Introduction
My 3 year old and 1 1/2 year old boys love this CD! They are both learning the popular songs simultaneously in English and French, as am I. A great collection of songs, well sung and fun! Recommended for speakers of English who want their very young kids to start learning French without being intimidated.

mix of french and english
This is an audio CD mixing french as well as english traditional songs for children. It is 15 songs, with aditional 15 dialog where kids play translation betweem English and French which is an excellent way to encourage kids to speak French. The songs are very close to the heart, signed in both English and french, however most of French songs are by Rene, and the English are by Kids. All their voices are excellent, and you can easily follow them after few trials. I wished that The CD has the songs written, and to seperate the french from the english in seperate tracks.

Good Cd, but...........
This is a really good cd in that it actually introduceschildren to French......but I was very upset by the LACK OF French inthe songs. It's a great idea but there needs to be a lot more Frenchinvolved in the songs.....and I also noticed that the adult male singsmost of the French......while more of the children sing the Englishparts of the songs. This isn't fair considering it's a cd forchildren AND some of the child singers were from a Frenchinternational school. ... if MUSIC FOR LITTLE PEOPLE made a cd withthe same basic idea, only all in French with just the childrensinging. ... I'm sure a cd made this way would be a hit. The cd isgood to buy if you want to expose your children to French, though.Just don't expect there to be much French.....which means yourchildren won't be learning much of French. However, it's a great toolas a supplement. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With the three-disc Raffi's Box of Sunshine, the reigning king of children's music fills in the blanks between the phenomenally popular Baby Beluga and The Singable Songs Collection for legions of tykes who can't get enough of the Toronto-based troubadour's goofy, good-hearted sound. The first disc, Rise and Shine, recorded in 1982, serves up a mishmash of traditional and original tunes including "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Wheels on the Bus." The common thread on this 17-track album--though not every song is subject to a stitch-- is inspiration, bordering on spirituality ("Rise and Shine," "He's Got the Whole World," "This Little Light of Mine"). Lucky for listeners, Raffi refuses to get bogged down while delivering his message. Instead, his focus is on keeping things light, as he coolly demonstrates on disc 2, One Light One Sun, recorded in 1985. Here again is a hodgepodge of the familiar ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") and the nutty new ("The Bowling Song"), loosely linked by a theme of diversity and acceptance (for example, "Ching lives in China, Olga lives in Russia / And each one is much like another"). Disc 3, Everything Grows, recorded in 1987, veers from the point-making path of its predecessors and instead asks its listeners to suspend high-mindedness in the pursuit of sheer silliness, if only temporarily. There's "Bathtime," the opener, complete with simulated scrubbing sounds; a spirited instrumental polka version of "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"; and "Eight Piggies in a Row," an accordion-heavy lament for a hapless line of porkers who can neither laugh, cry, sing, nor dance. Combined, the three discs constituting the Box of Sunshine deliver not a moment's dimness; instead, playfulness, cheeriness, and fun radiate throughout these records, and legions of Raffi fans as well as the few remaining uninitiated will love them. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (8)

These Songs Never Get Old. Even Adults Love Raffi!
We bought this on a recommendation. What a pleasant surprise! These songs never get old. Even adults love Raffi. And you get three of his best CD's at a better price. You get "Rise and Shine" (our favorite), "One Light, One Sun," and "Everything Grows."

Buy this!

I love these songs
I have loved Raffi's Box of Sunshine the most for a long time now. Raffi is soooo good. I love Raffi and have since I can remember.

I'm confused by the bad comment that Raffi seems to need a few cups of coffee. These three CD's have faster songs than any other Raffi CD's. Thumbelina, The Mountain Polka, and Savex-vous Planter Des Choux have a fast paced polka beat that really get your heart going. I love these songs. Raffi is so fun and cool.

Some of my friends listen to music like Brittany Speers already and Disney, but I am happy most for the great music I grew up with and will share Raffi with my family some day.

MUST HAVE Collection!!! Thank you Raffi for this Gift!
You and your children will love these three CD's. As a veteran parent who has listened to a great deal of children's music (some commercial garbage), I can say with confidence that this collection is the best I have heard.

Thank you Raffi for this special gift of really good music!

I also highly recommend Raffi's Singable Songs Collection, another wonderful set of three masterpiece children's recordings (for slightly younger kids).

This music reaches out and invites you to sing, dance, clap, laugh, make funny noises (boing, boing), and learn some positive things about yourself and the world.

We listen to Raffi's CD's at home and in the car. My wife uses some of the faster songs from this collection to dance and sing with our four year old, daily, to enhance her development. (Movement and singing together is good). They have such a blast. And I just love to hear my seven year old sing some of these songs in the car. We all sing together in the car sometimes. And I admit that these songs are so enjoyable to parents that I just sometimes leave the tape playing when the kids are not in the car.

I wish a could give a free copy of Raffi to every parent and child. All our children would all be happier and brighter. Skip the commerical garbage and expose your children to as much Raffi as you can.

Greatest Children's Musician Ever!
Raffi has made the best children's music there is. I can say that as a children's education authority who has heard a wide range of children's music. He really has an amazing but subtle understanding of children's needs. His music is really fun, silly, easy to sing along with, and suited just right for young people. Adults will even find the music enjoyable. He's simply a tremendous songwriter and musician.

Raffi's Box of Sunshine is very good and certainly much better than most of the other commercial music on the market.

I also highly recommend Raffi's earlier music. That includes the legendary classic Singable Songs for the Very Young (my choice for best children's CD), More Singable Songs for the Very Young, and Corner Grocery Store. You can get them for a great value with the 3-CD set Singable Songs Collection.

In Concert with the Rise and Shine Band is a must-own CD. It includes many improved versions of songs in this collection. Baby Beluga (live version) gets my vote for greatest children's song of all time.

Although I strongly advise Parents to limit television exposure to almost zero and outright ban it for children under four, Raffi's Young Children's Concert video is outstanding.

Raffi's Box of Sunshine makes a very good addition to your collection.

I don't recommend this collection. Get "in concert" instead
In this collection, Raffi seems to need a few cups of coffee. The songs are slow and humorless and the arrangements very basic (boring.) However, the best songs in this collection can be found in much more lively versions on the Raffi in Concert album, which is a lot of fun. The singable songs collection is very good too, as is the Christmas album. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Exceptional, Fun, and Educational
Absolutely love it. I use it for my Spanish students. We perform for parents with songs from this CD. The songs are fun and the kids learn so much. They always ask me to play the songs over. I wish they would come out with another Spanish CD. Maria and Luis from Sesame Street have wonderful voices!

Sesame Street Fiesta Songs
I wanted to write this review b/c my purchase was based on an online review. This is the best CD! We are trying to learn and teach our 3 boys (3, 2 & 2) Spanish. I listen to Fiesta Songs in the van even when they aren't with me! We've learned so many useful words and phrases, and the music is great. Me gusta!!

Way too much fun to be only for kids!!!
#1) I'm an adult
#2) I have no kids
#3) I love this CD.

Yes...it's FUN...and sometimes way too sickenly cute. Elmo singing spanish? Classics like "The people in your neighborhood".

I tell my friends that I'm trying to learn spanish...when in reality this CD is just as fun to listen to as just about anythign you'll find on the radio. Super sticky sweet, but not stupid and not condescending.

Oh, and if you *do* have kids....I'm sure it's even more fun.
Worth it....if you came to this page you're probably considering it...so get on with it...buy it already!

GREAT SONGS!
Really fun -- my kids (4 & 6) love it! I love all the Sesame Street products - they are wonderful. My kids also love the "SING AND LEARN" CD by the Global Village Kids. These are bilingual nursery rhymes that they already know so it's easier for them to pick up words in Spanish. I highly recommend both -- much better than the so-called "educational" videos out there for getting your kids to learn a bit of Spanish (and have fun, too!)

AWESOME!
My son and I had been working with the same Baby Spanish CD since before he was born EVERYDAY and finally it bagan to get old. I wanted to find something we could alternate he is other cd with and found Fiesta Songs! It's great. It's a definativly bilingual approach in which spanish words and phrases are introduced into well known Sesame Street songs. The cd also comes with the words to all the songs in English and in Spanish. Elmo, the Count, Big Bird, Rosita, Maria, Luis, and others make this cd totally worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

flat tunes with biblical twists
The worst part of this CD is that all the songs sound the same: similar arrangements with the same girl's chorus mostly drowned out by the music. Annoying to some (like me) are the Christian messages grafted onto traditional songs: "Finger, nose, and toes all work for Jesus." Please. Not sure where we picked it up, but it was a mistake.

Wholesome, Fun Music at a Cheap Price. A "Must Buy"!
This is good, fun music at a great price. This CD is especially good for the car. My young ones have really enjoyed this over the years. At this price it's a must buy, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Good for ages 1-9.

Five stars considering the price. Four stars if it were priced over $10. ... Read more