Album Description

Juno Award nominee, Parents’ Choice Honors Award Also available in VIDEO cassette Includes "Dicky Dinosaur", "Slimy the Slug", "Lucky Streak" and "Rubber Blubber Whale" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Must have kid music!
Diamonds and Dragons is a great album! All 3 of our kids (6.5 to 2.5) love the songs and started singing along about the second or third time we listened to it in the car... months later we still love it and are buying it for Xmas presents for other families with young children! ... Read more

Album Description

Exciting, foot-tapping arrangements of American patriotic classics performed by children with a full orchestra. All songs repeat in SPLIT-TRACK so that if your sound system allows you can adjust the balance and hear only the music to perform your own program! Bonus! The Enhanced CD includes the PDF sheet music that can be printed from any home computer.

Great for schools, community service groups, civic clubs, holiday picnics, and more!

2002 Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2002 Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award 2002 National Parenting Center Seal Of Approval ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fabulous
I'm a single mother in my mid 30s and I've been singing these songs for YEARS. I still have the original album I got when I was little and thank heaven they now have a CD. There are messages in the song lyrics that still apply more than 3 decades later. All people could benefit from it. Thanks to Sesame Street for keeping it alive.

Fun,Fun,Fun
Lots of cute and funny songs. We like Fuzzy and Blue the best.

WOW The Memories
When I was a kid this was my favorite Sesame Street record. I cried the day it started skipping. The funny thing is that I actually got excited when they released it on a CD. I rushed out and brought it. Yes, I also listened to it when I got it home. You gotta love the genius of Jim Henson. He's definitely someone who's legend will live on for many years. Hey, I can't help it I'm a grown child. Anything Sesame Street is worthwhile to get a hold of. Where is Sesame Street Fever? I'm still waiting. i love the song "I Can't Help It". Herry Monster is great.

mmmmmm.....cookie!!!
"I, Grover" is my new favorite song. I love this CD - oh, and so does my daughter. She has a dance for each of the songs. Also, themes such as cooperation, being different, fear of the dark ("There's a little girl under the bed!" "Oh, sweetheart, there's no such thing as little girls!"), friendship, personal empowerment (I love you Grover!), and expressing emotions are handled in good ol' Sesame Street form. It's all cookie.

Upbeat songs by all of your fuzzy monster friends!
I just imagine soft blue fuzz dancing around my living room when I hear Harry and Grover sing about their monster lives. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Loading their blankets with dreams and their pillows with wishes landedCathy Fink and Marcy Marxer a couple of Grammy nods, and sprinkling the stardustthat's lining their pockets on this last installment of the trilogy shouldshort-list them for a third. A parcel of lullabies this crafty and playful popsup so infrequently it practically commands us to take a stiff broom to our ownsleepiness and listen along, wide-eyed. The pair's vocal caresses and wound-downinstrumentation aside, kids aren't apt to conk out right away either. But that'sby design. Fink and Marxer promote here what heroPete Seeger called"nighttime propaganda"--they sneak up on the sandman, ambushing him with atrack-by-track tempo tone-down. Opener "Rhythm of the World" is downright upbeatwith its steel drums, congas, and "Ching-a-ling-a-ling, hear the bells ring/Ching-a-ling-a-lum, hands on a drum" verse, but by the time we reach "I GotPajamas" in mid-CD, the mood is decidedly mellower (never mind the safari,spaceships, and bed full of llamas). "Whispers" and "Wish for Tomorrow" presideover the final descent into dreamland, with flowers whispering to the grass,grass whispering to the dew, and the moon rising high in the blue. Stylish butnot oversimplified lyrics, the occasional sweet strains of a children'sensemble, and well-played bites of cittern, viola, fiddle, dulcimer, banjo,mandolin, oboe, and rain stick scatter a mellow blend of stardust that'll seekids ages 1 to 8 taking off their nightcaps yet again to the reigning queens ofPJ propaganda. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What a Pleasant Surprise! This is a Really Good CD
My family and I checked out this CD from our local library, and this is one of the better children's/family CD's we have heard. This music is really interesting and talented, with several excellent songs. Your children will like this, and so will you.

There's are songs with just a touch of folk, jazz, and celtic. Some are very singable, and there are a few songs that are especially excellent. This is good music. The CD starts a little on the playful side and then sort of winds down, supposedly to help children get ready for bed. Whatever the goal, it's good music.

Highly recommended!

LOVE IT! Not your typical lullabies - better!
My 5 year old always has trouble getting to sleep - we always put on music to help settle him down & also to drown out other noises - when this arrived last night we popped it in - it is not your typical lullabies, but he really enjoyed just laying down and listening to the music. He settled down faster & slept better. Lyrics were great! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not his best
We really enjoyed Tom's Moonboat CD, so I purchased a couple more for the kids (2 and 5 yrs) for Christmas. I was very disappointed in the content of this CD. We listened to a little more than half before the kids and I lost interest and turned it off. Every song is about "Green" subjects, which gets old after the 2nd song. The songs are not as creative and playful as his other work. We also bought the Family Tree CD, which is wonderful, and contains a better version of the "Pretty Planet" song. I recommend purchasing Family Tree or Moonboat over this CD, unless you're a teacher looking for music about environmental issues.

This Pretty Planet
While it is probably a special kind of sin to say it, I have always preferred Tom Chapin's music to that of his late brother, Harry. This Pretty Planet is just the latest offering by Chapin meant (perhaps) as a children's recording, but it will be enjoyed people of any age. The addition of the guest duet partners is a whimsical and entirely welcome surprise. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With all the recent consciousness-raising campaigns about the importance of music education, it's about time somebody spread the gospel at the preschool level. Enter the Sesame Street gang with Elmo and the Orchestra, Sony Wonder's companion title to its movement-of-the-moment targeted video Elmo's Musical Adventure: The Story of Peter and the Wolf. Here, Elmo fans giggle along as the furry red guy and Big Bird gab their way through a wide-ranging selection of classic compositions. The venue is Bird's nest, where the Birdapest Orchestra, confidently led by conductor Leonard Birdseed, tackles snippets of Mozart's Symphony No. 40, Paganini's 24 Caprices, Chopin's Minute Waltz, Haydn's Surprise Symphony, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and 14 famous others. During the pair's daffy, Sesame-style running dialogue, Elmo gets a grip on the four sections of an orchestra; delights in discovering that music, even the kind without words, sometimes tells a story (especially when the story is about animals, as in Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee); and, with great enthusiasm, sits in for Mr. Birdseed as conductor for a few performances. Silliness aside, the 2- to 5-year-old set stands to learn a confidence-building tidbit or two about the often stuffy-seeming classical genre from this CD. Caregivers bent on working the music into their kids' cultural repertoire can count on a less guarded approach to complicated (if masterful) compositions when they scoop up this record. And then there's the fun factor--as with most Sesame releases, it's through the roof, so the storyline's treetop setting couldn't be more suitable. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (3)

we both like classical music now!
We found this at the library and my 4 year old really liked this. It's the only way we can both listen to nice classical music. If it's not in this format she is not content unless I get creative about listening to classical music. This music helped me do that. For example we imagine what we listen to like birds or clouds.

A must for your collection!
I also wish the pieces could have been longer, but I do like the way they talk about classes of instruments (like brass and percussion), and play excerpts of pieces that feature those intstruments. They also make sure to mention the composer before his piece is played. Elmo and Big Bird also find out how different classical pieces can make us think of different scenes, describe something like a bumblebee, make us feel a certain way (like Brahms' Lullaby), or get our feet moving. The music is fun and exciting, and is a wonderful way to introduce classical music if it hasn't been a part of your collection. Hey, it's great even if you DO play a lot of classical music in your house! We find it really exciting BECAUSE our daughters have heard this music before. (And mommy and daddy like it, too!) Enjoy!!

A great way to introduce kids to classical music!
If your kids love Sesame Street, but you want to introduce them to classical music, then this is the album for you. Big Bird introduces Elmo to the "Birdapest Symphony" and "Leonard Birdseed", conductor. They teach us about the different instruments part by part, and help Elmo to find the symphony he's heard once before but can't quite remember. Well, after giving us parts of some wonderful classical bits of music, Elmo finds his piece of music. And it's wonderful. The album is great fun, and my only regret is that they never play an entire piece, or even half a piece, it's only a taste, a glimpse. So it's a great introduction, but not truly satisfying. It's very educational and very enjoyable for all to listen to, especially in the car. But it's too short--I wish they would not talk over the music, and that they had included longer bits. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Best known for her recordings of children's music, here Ella Jenkins teams with the Goodwill Spiritual Choir of Monumental Baptist Church. A rarity, this 1960s-era Chicago choir (composed of older children and adults) sang both for worship and the general public, doing so with soulful clarity and articulation. Jenkins's precise alto leads the choir; she also arranges many of the traditional religious and work songs in a skillful blend of old-school style and crisp finesse. Poet Maya Angelou contributes to this project with arrangements of the singsong "That's All Right Julie" and "Who Is All Here" (recognized as a version of the skip-rope chant "Not last night, but the night before / Twenty-four robbers came a-knockin' at my door"). From "Cotton-Eyed Joe" to a shining a cappella choral arrangement of "Did You Feed My Cow?" and the stellar harmonies of "Rockin' Jerusalem," African American Folk Rhythms explores essential and vibrant aspects of black America. --Paige La Grone ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A classic reissued
One of the great things about modern technology is that we can bring back classics and remaster them so that they sound better than new! This CD presents songs that highlight the hardship, struggle, work and religious experience of African Americans. Some are new songs with traditional arrangements, others are very old but newly arranged (such as Maya Angelou's two arrangements of familiar children's songs.) My favorite is the presentation of "Old Time Religion" in three different versions: traditional, classic, and gospel styles. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sesame Street is one of the most trusted brand names in all of television, and it's earned it. Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown isn't incredibly educational--your kids will not finish the album and start doing calculus--but there are lessons to be learned here: "It's Zydeco" introduces the musical style and a number of instruments; "Readers of the Open Range" encourages kids to pick up books; "A Tall Tale"--which features "Noel Cowherd" and "Polly Darton"--illustrates the limitations of gullibility. The music is, as always, topnotch, and the stories are fun. Special note: Elmo, the de facto host of the album, shows up on only a handful of songs, and Zoe is nowhere to be found. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fun for kids of all ages!
My children and I cannot stop listening to this cd! Our favorites are "Sad cafe" and "Love in the Junkyard" and "Handful of Crumbs". "Lonesome Joan" is a sappy song sung by Ernie and Bert, and it brings a tear to my eye every time I listen to it.

All the songs are very funny, encouraging, entertaining, and subtly teach the kids lifeskills at the same time without being naggy and preachy .. true sesame street style.

Wonderful!
This is a truly wonderful CD. In the typical Sesame Street style, it can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Many of the songs are really quite humorous, especially "Handful of Crumbs" by Cookie Monster. My daughter loves it! ... Read more

Album Description

Winner of the Parents’ Choice Seal of Approval, Our Choice Award – Canadian Children’s Book Centre and National Parenting Publications Award Includes "Everyday Angel", "One Dream", "My Favourite Things" and "Morningtown Ride" ... Read more

Album Description

Magic happens when songs and learning are brought together. Music stirs emotion, which has a powerful effect on memory. Singing about math creates good feelings about the subject, and helps students internalize the vocabulary and the mathematical concepts at the same time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Even the titles are fun!
What a great opportunity for kids to learn without parents going crazy with the tunes. It's actually enjoyable to listen along. The music is so fun, you can't help but want to dance. There's a great variety of styles to keep your interest and the subjects are well covered. My favorite is Mixed Numbers with the clarinet solo - fun!!! Even the titles keep the parents smiling. Harry's terrific!!

Best CD ever
This cd is the best cd i have ever bought. It is fun for your kids, educational, and funny. Excellent cd by Harry Guffee. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally released by renowned Folkways recording artist Ella Jenkins in 1965, Jenkins appears on Counting Games and Rhythms for the Little Ones with children from Lake Meadows Nursery School. Most appropriate for preschoolers and elementary-school children, this short collection of tunes neither panders to nor reaches frustratingly beyond the abilities of its intended audience. Jenkins comes across as a warm and respectful leader gently guiding her small charges through a set of verbal tumbling while reinforcing the importance of order and of both individual and group dynamics. There are a number of old favorites here, including "Two Little Black Birds" and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," which makes the collection as enjoyable for parents as it is for kids. --Paige La Grone ... Read more

Album Description

A PERSONAL OASIS —now you can escape from the chaos of busy schedules and endless demands to the tranquility of a garden in bloom, a cascading mountain stream, a walk along the beach. Ten all-new original instrumental songs exquisitely blended with the subtle sounds of nature quickly and quietly whisk you away. A companion to the best-selling NATURE SOUNDS music CD from Twin Sisters Productions.

Ideal for calming the nursery or classroom, creating tranquility in a care facility, background music for the office, or for personal relaxation. ... Read more

Album Description

Songs cover body awareness, self image, vocabulary development, family relationships, dramatic and creative play.Simple activities encourage interaction between adults and children. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My old favorite
I bought this record back when it was originally released for my class of two year olds. It was their favorite record, providing many creative songs they could actively sing. Sleepy Time Sea was our daily naptime soother. I have been searching for the c.d., since my record player has long worn out, so my toddler could enjoy the wonderful music of More Babysongs, known to me as Tickly Toddle. ... Read more

Album Description

Younger children will enjoy these all-new contemporary, kid-friendly arrangements of church school choruses, Bible camp songs, and hymns. Over three hours of music on three CDs! Ideal for at home, church school, mid-week programs, summer camp, family car trips, and more! ... Read more

Album Description

Thank you for teaching! You are admired for being real, respected for the way you handle the challenges of each school day, and appreciated for your commitment to teaching children.

Enjoy this gift of music! Use it often to help balance the challenges of teaching and life outside of school. Enjoy 60-minutes of tranquil, hushed, original instrumental music blended with the comforting sounds of forest nightlife, soft rain, a distant storm,gentle wind, and other nature sounds.

Includes 50 fun, easy, creative ways to relax and unwind after school and on the weekends!

Great gift for the special, hard-working teachers we all know! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rhythms of Childhood by Ella Jenkins
The album, Rhythms of Childhood by Ella Jenkins, has been in our family for over 20 years. Just recently I ordered the album (now a CD) for two nieces and was reminded of our relationship with this fine recording. We wore the original recording out during our summer travels, and it never became old for all members of the car.

Ms. Jenkins provides a wonderful approach to children's musical literature. Her voice communicates directly with children, and adults find her easy vocals equally attractive. Her use of instruments is varied but never to the detriment of the music. In this album, the music is always first. It was a pleasure to reacquaint myself with this recording and refreshing to rediscover children's musical literature that is simple and unencumbered with the musical tracks that accompany much of children's musical literature today. Our special favorites: "The Cuckoo," and the final African impressions cut with "Oh Reign Oh." ... Read more

Album Description

R & R For Teachers is 60-minutes of tranquil, hushed original instrumental music designed to help relax your body, slow down the speed of thoughts, soothe your frustrations, bring you back to yourself, and revive your love of teaching.

A great gift for those special, hard-working teachers we all know!

Includes 20 thought-provoking questions, observations and reminders for a teacher to contemplate before, during or after each school day. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Makes the car rides something to look forward to.
We've had a lot of fun with this. I put it on for the kids and they have so much fun trying to immitate all the voices of the different characters. Then we put on a singing lesson CD, "Voice Lessons To Go" by Vaccarino for me and my oldest daughter. The younger one tries to sing a long with us in her high voice. I think we will get some Spanish Cds for the Car in addition for our next trip. Some of the long roads around us are just desert and very boring. So we have to fill them creatively!

Sesame Street Sing Along Travel Songs
This is just a great CD. My daughter checks it out at the library over and over again for her 2 year old daughter, who absolutely loves it. All the tracks are fun and the "Are we there yet" track is too funny. I'm purchasing the CD for our next long distance car trip with my grandson and I can't wait to play the "Are we there yet" track the first time he asks "are we there yet?" and each time after that he asks. It's going to be a hilarious trip!

A cute cd for in the car
I bought this cd after reading several good reviews. While my daughter loves the cd (she sometimes wants track 4 over and over and over again), I am only rating this with 4 stars. This is because I find the songs with the Count to be a little annoying (there are 3 different tracks, but it's the same song). Also, the "Are we there yet?" song is annoying too, as Elmo's voice is whiny and screeching. Not something I'd want to listen to on a long car ride. Other than those grievances of mine, the cd is fun and my daughter loves it. It is played in our car often.

Excellent for the whole family
This is a delightful cd. All the songs are catchy and upbeat. My four and three year old sing the songs throughout the day after listening to it. It will help the time pass when traveling or provide great dancing music when at home. I highly recommend this cd. Enjoy it - we do.

Great for the car!
Our 2 year old daughter loves this tape! We play it over and over in the car and we all sing along. The songs are up-beat and fun. And it also features the familiar voices of Sesame Street characters, like Big Bird, Elmo, Zoe, Count, etc. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Folkie folk
Though the instrumentation isn't completely acoustic, there's a hardcore folkiness to Chapin's music. Whether it's the topics (ranging from interpersonal relationships to evenings in Yucatan), the printed song introductions (including the occasional reference to a specific guitar or tuning), or the intra-scene connections (several of these songs made their debut on National Public Radio), there's something insular about Chapin's latest release. The result will be perfectly pleasing to folk fans, but may be a bit difficult for neophytes (most especially cynical neophytes) to fully open themselves to.

Unlike his older brother's mass popularity, Chapin's labored successfully in both the folk and children's music worlds, creating a string of moderately successful LPs. His latest, the first studio release in nearly a decade, includes songs both serious and humorous, including topical tunes on magazine wars ("Martha & Oprah") and the cyberfrontier ("My Electronic Vacation"). Also included is a cover of Harry Chapin's "Story of a Life," and a tasty slice of slide 12-string ("12-String Ramble").

Chapin accompanies himself on banjo, adding players on keyboards, bass, mandolin, accordion and fiddle here and there. The mostly acoustic music provides a light backing that leaves the focus on the lyrics. ... Read more