Amazon.com

If you're the kind of person who occasionally needs to hear songs like "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," this is the album for you. Silly Favorites collects 20 of these, um, silly songs in a collection aimed at children. The expected tracks are all here ("Apples and Bananas," "Tiny Tim," "Who Stole the Cookies?" and three renditions of "Be Kind to Your Web Footed Friends"), as are a slew of lesser-known ditties ("Ain't No Sin to Take Off Your Skin and Dance Around in Your Bones," "Do Your Ears Hang Low?"). Performed by an appropriately wacky contingent of adults and children, this is a wonderful collection for the nursery-school set. However, it can quickly become quite grating to anyone above age 8. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (4)

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

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

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

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

Reviews (7)

If B.B. approves, so do I!
This is a GREAT cd. My 2 year old has never liked being in the car so I've been listening to elmo, bear & pooh for 2 years. That's fine, it's fun, but this is a wonderful change of pace - she loves it & so do I! Especially pancake man :-) Done in a blues style VERY much like blues music for adults, but with lyrics little ones can understand and enjoy. To the gentleman who didn't think it was authentic enough blues...I bet B.B. and the rest of the crew on this cd would beg to differ...as does my family.

GREAT CD!
This is a great CD! The music is more adult like but the lyrics are directed to kids. Fishin' Blues and Flying Lessons are excellent!

sappy silly disappointing
I wanted a good cd to accompany Buckwheat Zydeco in my sons collection. With the starpower that this cd's artists have, I was expecting much more. The songs would be good if the arrangements were less candy coated and more gritty and more like the guitar driven blues that my son loves.Buckwheat Zydeco is the lone bright spot on the disc. I only wish I could return it to get a different disc but instead, it is a drink coaster for a sipper cup. over and out

Great tunes for young and old
I just rented this CD from the library. I like to expose my son to different types of music, and I enjoy blues, so I thought "what the heck this CD could be fun", but it isn't just fun....It was GREAT! I came online right away to see if I could find it.

I popped it in on the way home and turned around to see if my 3 year old son was enjoying it too? I saw him rockin' to the "pancake man" and "the candy store blues" with a big grin...it was a hit!

The nice thing is, I don't have to tune it out like SOME kids tapes...I think I liked it better than he did actually. I was rockin' in MY car seat and didn't want to turn the car off when we got home.

This CD has some great music and features some fantastic artists... if you like that bluesy sound, you and your kids will find this CD very enjoyable!!

Our Favorite CD!
My four year old daughter just loves this music! We have listened to it for two years now and just enjoy it more and more each time. We love to listen to it on the way to preschool in the morning; it puts us in a great mood and energizes us! All of the songs are wonderful and it is the only children's music that I've found that is just as enjoyable to adults as it is to children! We love it! ... Read more

Album Description

Jazz-a-Bye: The Swing Set, the third in a series of award-winning CDs by the Jazz-a-Bye Quartet, is a compilation of favorite children's playtime songs and nursery rhymes arranged in playful, cool jazz. For anyone from 0-99, toddlers and grade-school kids alike smile upon recognition of their favorite songs, and parents not only enjoy the sophisticated arrangements and swingin' rhythms; they are happy to introduce their children to music that stimulates their minds.Instrumental, and over an hour of music. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Holiday albums can be tedious, sappy affairs--drenched in good intentions but sappy nonetheless. Not so, this release from the consistent Music for Little People label. It may be short on old standards, but that's only because there's a lack of English-language Hanukkah standards to begin with. A Child's Hanukkah makes the case for a number of original tunes, and while not all will make the canon, they're consistently entertaining enough for a quality listen. Klezmer is the musical bed here, coupled with joyous clarinet and tambourine fills, supplemented with songs like "The Hanukkah Hop" (a variation on the bunny hop), "We've Got a Lot of Latkes" (followed by "Dance of the Leftover Latkes"), and "God Rest Ye, Jerry Mandlebaum." Held together by dialogue--a family celebrating the holiday together, with plenty of lessons delivered along the way--this is a great addition to any child's Hanukkah. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (3)

wonderful Chanukah music
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.

best kids' holiday CD I've found . . . .
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!!

Has the basic music with some patter explaining the holiday
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. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My 4 year old loves this!
My four and a half year old daughter loves this cd, we both do, really. Ms. Shenandoah's voice carries itself into your heart and holds itself there. The songs are haunting and uplifting at the same time. The narration is compelling and interesting. I can't wait to explore more of her work. This is a must-have cd, especially for children.

Love this CD!
I was so delighted with this album purchase. Musically, it is beautiful, and Joanne's voice is simply lovely! I recommend it!

Wonderful story & music - just wish she hadn't used "stupid"
WE LOVE THIS CD.The story is beatifully told the music is eclectic, with a dash of blues, easy listening, country and just plain FUN.I highly recommend with one caveat ~ she uses the word stupid in the lyrics in the first song. Maybe it's just our family, but I cringe every time she bellows out "I'm just a stupid girl..."I usually lower the volume on that part.I have little ones and it's exactly the kind of terminology they'd pick up.That's the only reason I didn't give a whole-hearted five star rating.Other than that the CD is terrific.Everyone who gets in my car (great entertainment while driving to school) loves it.It's GREAT!

Sounds like a very successful children's recording
This album doesn't really give the full right to Shenandoah's enticing voice and the beauty of the harmonics, though it is fun to listen to. ... Read more

Album Description

A delightful collection of songs that reflect the wonder and beauty of nature throughout the year as well as the wonder of the world from a child’s point of view.A 12 page illustrated booklet with all the words comes with the CD. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Cheesy.
A big disappointment. I can only reiterate the other negative review. The song "Mary Did You Know" I would not want to hear more than once in my lifetime. Distasteful.--though, once again, the kids like it. I tell them I don't and we can't hear it. I find it unbearable.

One of the best
This is one of the best Christmas CD's I've heard in a long time. It's varied and that's why I like it. My daughter also likes it because it has children singing and she can relate better to that than some of the orchestrated Christmas CD's with a Tenor singing O Holy Night. Some of the voices on this CD are absolutely beautiful especially "Angels we have Heard on High". "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph" are just plain fun. I really enjoy this CD and like it better than most anything else out there. I will probably keep it for a long time.

Pretty Bad
On the plus side, the children like the songs sung by kids, which is why I bought, but this children singing is not the best.

It's a hodge podge of voices and styles. I like the songs that have a gospel feel; however, all the different voices all over the place, and the ad libbed words, and the arrangement, and the tempo, and just everything is a big disappointment.

It's just more of the crappy music one hears all over the place at Christmas time in the stores, which makes one weary of it all.

Nothing beautiful here, or even good for your children's musical ear.

They really spoil the 12 days of xmas. There are two silly adult voices, and two small unintelligible children whose singing lacks any musical quality.

Forget this one.

Quite a variety tossed onto one CD
There are a variety of singing styles on this recording. Some are fast paced and others are slow and mellow. Somehow it doesn't flow well, the collection seems jumbled and awkward.

"Jingle Bells" opens with a chorus sung by a toddler then goes into a chorus of children singing; it has a very fast tempo and is nerve-wracking. Rudolph the Reindeer is the "revised" version where there are additional lyrics such as "all of the other reindeers used to laugh and call you names--like silly head", etc. Adults sing some songs in a serious manner, some are young children (with not-superior singing voices) singing solo, and others are sung by choruses of children. Some songs have dialogue by Santa and children mingled inside of each song in between verses. Some songs are fast paced and almost nerve-wracking while others are slow, quiet and purely classical in nature.

I find that my children prefer the songs that are a fast tempo that are sung by the children while I like the quiet more classical songs sung by adults. The kids ask me to skip over the songs I enjoy and to repeat songs such as "Jingle Bells" a million times. I am still looking for a recording of popular songs such as "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells" which are sung by adults and are just "normal" (vs. rock stars' personally stylized versions, country versions, zydego versions, etc.).

A GREAT Children's CD...
And very pleasant for parents to also listen to. I found myself listening to it even without my son... ... Read more

Amazon.com

You can't quite help but love a kids' Christmas album that will bravely package rappers Run-D.M.C. with folkies Robin and Linda Williams or the pop-folkie Roches as they take delightful liberties with "Frosty the Snowman" and Chuck Berry's rockin' classic "Run Rudolph Run." Even more satisfying is the touching Tish Hinojosa tune sung from the point of view of a young girl as she grows up and has her own kids ("Arbolito"), Pete Seeger's "Behold the Star," and Gene Autry's cowboy croon on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." With other cool Yule tracks from Stevie Wonder, the Beach Boys, and one Odds Bodkin--plus added levity from the Singing Dogs (barking their way through "Jingle Bells"), Spike Jones, and Art Moony--the diverse, diversity-shaped disc has only one flaw: it will leave you pining for more. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Singing along deserves a candy cane
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.

Skip this one, BUT.....
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.

Is this a kid's record?
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.

Definately not a good cd
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.

My kids love this CD!
This is different from the traditional children's collections of Christmas music, but every bit as happy and child-like as you could want. The boys love the Singing Dogs, and "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas". I particularly like "Arbolito". ... Read more

Album Description

This CD contains children music. Appropriate for ages 2-8 years old. There are two lyllaby type songs that are appropriate for children younger. These are Christian songs, however, they not only teach children about God, they teach about the wonderfuld world He created, the animals, and also teaches children about the different parts of their bodies, ex. hands, eyes, etc... ... Read more

Album Description

A full hour of enchanting piano music blended with baby's comforting sounds, such as mom's heartbeat and womb sounds, to achieve calm and promote sleep. Guaranteed to relax the fussiest baby! Perfect for tired parents as well. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Whole Lotta Fun
The songs are catchy with lyrics children can quickly grasp and a sense of humor that will entertain parents, as well. A must-have for your kids!

Beats "Wheels on the Bus" anyday!
Not having kids, I find most kids music annoying and I have very little patience. But putting in the CD I Love My Toys was actually NOT annoying as a grown up. I sent one right off to my 6 year old neice and told her to stop listening to that stupid dinosaur!

It's refreshing to hear a children's CD with such great song
It's refreshing to hear a children's CD with such great songwriting. All the songs are catchy and I can't get a couple out of my head. I believe parents will enjoy the CD as much as their children, they'll be playing it a hundred times a day! Jesse Smith has created a FUN and ENTERTAINING children's CD with great lessons, and positive values.

Refreshing, Loads of fun! I LOVE IT and I don't have kids.
A vampire singing about not being afraid of the dark, a reggae song about chocolate milk, an ode to a giant cardboard box, this is the great stuff of life, kids or not. The arrangements are catchy and adventurous,the lyrics are superbly witty & upbeat. The subtle "messages" are kid positive and tickle the child, still somewhere, in all of us.

A kid's CD that will not drive parents mad
I recieved this CD as a gift, and when I played it for my nieces and nephew, (ages 9,10 & 11) they were glued to the cd player listening to
every word like old time radio. My nephew perked up when he heard IF I HAD A ROBOT, and the girls later wanted to her the very loud WILD
TOYS...repeatedly again & again. I found myself humming the title song; I LOVE MY TOYS while cleaning the tub later in the day. Smith's use of sound effects with
his music, turns this CD into a delight for the ears. Perfect for a long drive with the kids in the car, the CD is actually very long, you get your
money's worth. Oh, and the NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK was very topical for the 2 girls, I think it eased their fears a bit about the basement
guest room. If you have kids, get this CD! It is an evergreen, my kids always want to hear it again and again... it's not abrasive. ... Read more