Andy's Wild Amphibian Show! - Andy Offutt Irwin

Andy Offutt Irwin - Andy's Wild Amphibian Show album cover

Album: Andy's Wild Amphibian Show!

Age Range: 5 through 10

Review: With a blurb from king of the kindie storytellers Bill Harley (and a figurative push from longtime occasional touring partner Cathy Fink), this was a pretty safe bet when I put the CD in and hit "play." Sure enough, the first kids CD from the Georgia-based storyteller hits the same pleasant storyteller notes as Harley -- the feeling that childhood is every bit as adventurous as adulthood, empowerment in small bites, and, of course, the occasional silly voice. Most of the album is taken up by two stories told in front of a live audience, "I Have a Loose Tooth" and the title track. It also features a live recording of the sweet sing-along lullaby (not an oxymoron) "The Light Went Away" and a studio rendition of "I Love To Whistle," which features Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. (Did I mention that Irwin's a whistler? He's a really good whistler.)

Unlike Bill Harley's tales, in which many of them I've often felt a bit of wistfulness, these stories stick to a more triumphant tone. Which is also fine. Just a bit different. Irwin is just as engaging with the kids, regardless of whether it's through the occasional encouragement to repeat a loooong vocabulary word or just through his silly voices or compelling narrative. Worth a spin if you're looking to expand your family's storytelling collection. Recommended.

Note: I was provided a copy of this album for possible review.

Animals - Jonathan Mann

Artist: Jonathan Mann

Album: Animals

Age Range: 5 through 10

Description: Jonathan Mann is best known for recording and releasing a song a day, every day, for more than 6 years. So when he came up with the idea of revisiting and rerecording some of his best songs, he clearly had a large batch to choose from. Animals is, as you'd surmise, a collection of animal-related tunes that, while not specifically a kids' album, is definitely kid-friendly. (Mann notes that while he was thinking of this as his "kids album," none of the songs were written as kids songs.)

The poppy and synth-assisted songs themselves are pretty silly -- "Penguins Having a Party" and "Kittens in Space" lead off the album, and they're about exactly what their titles suggest. The songs generally tend toward the fanciful (another song: "Steve, the Hippo with Multiple Personalities") and so while there's some factual information, that's not the purpose of these tracks. Because of their origins -- hey, you try writing a song a day every day -- some of the songs are pretty brief and feature a single idea. When it comes to kids' songs, though, that can be a feature, not a bug. ("Deer Licks the Cat" is a gloriously dorky singalong focused on a chorus basically consisting of the title... and it won't. leave. your. brain.)

You can stream and purchase the digital album here. It's a light album, catchy and happy. Slide some of these into your next playlist. Recommended.

Rock Nocturnal - Eric Ode

Artist: Eric Ode

Album: Rock Nocturnal

Age Range: 5 through 9

Description: As an author and poet, Eric Ode has a firm sense of a) narrative drive, and b) syllabic scanning. So do many musicians, of course, but if you're going to write an entire album about, as Ode puts it, "dirt diggers and nighttime critters," those skills are especially important lest you write lifeless songs that recite facts without engaging the listener. Can you tell I've listened to many such songs that fall on that lifeless end of the lively/lifeless spectrum?

On Rock Nocturnal, Ode puts himself safely on the other, lively side of that spectrum. It's a solid set of folky pop-rock with the occasional detour into raccoon-themed pirate chanties ("Raccoon and the Wizard's Daughter," "Hooray for Jessie Skunk"). The shuffling bluesy title track has a fun shout-out along chorus, and as you might expect from someone who spends a lot of time with the written word, there are a handful of songs which enjoy words as words ("Gophers in the Garden," "There's a Mole in the Hole," "Raccoon Round"). And if your kids just want a pop song, try "Look At That Acro-Bat." (Go here for a stream of album samples from the 33-minute album.)

Rock Nocturnal to me sounds like an album recorded at least partially with the intent for use in schools and libraries, and should be popular in those venues. Unlike many albums of that nature (er, so to speak), it also succeeds on its own merits far from that educational context. Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review.

Sea Blue Sea - The Whizpops

Artist: The Whizpops

Album: Sea Blue Sea

Age Range: 5 through 10

Description: On their third album, the Whizpops continue to make science- and learning-focused music for eager elementary school students. Now, I'm not sure what would possess a band located in landlocked Montana to write an entire album about the ocean and its inhabitants -- wistful dreaming, perhaps? -- but they've done just that on Sea Blue Sea. If the range of subjects is narrow, relatively speaking, the stylistic range -- Hawaiian ukulele ("Manatee") to operatic show tune ("Anglerfish") to reggae ("Blue Whale"), to name three points on the spectrum -- is not. Listeners are bound to find at least a couple songs that float their boat. (So to speak.)

You can listen to the 38-minute album here. With its Schoolhouse Rock-meets-high-school-marine-biology-course approach, the album won't be for everyone. But it's a cut above most efforts to marry learning with grooving. If that approach is for you, then this is recommended for you.

Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review.

Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music - Ana Gerhard

Artist/Author: Ana Gerhard (music selection) / Cecilia Varela (illustrator)

Book/Album: Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music

Age Range: 4 through 11

Description: Another book/CD collection from The Secret Mountain , this one uses bird-themed excerpts from classical music to introduce readers to some famous classical melodies and classical terminology. Older readers will get a fair amount out of Gerhard's text (which also includes biographical info); readers of all ages will probably enjoy the charming illustrations of Varela. I was impressed that the music Gerhard selected spans literally 500 years. Be forewarned that the 20 selections from artists such as the London Symphony Orchestra are in many cases just excerpts. So you might have to explore further, which wouldn't be the worst thing, right? Recommended.

You Are an Astronaut - Human-Tim + Robot-Tim

Artist: Human-Tim + Robot-Tim

Album: You Are an Astronaut

Age Range: 3 through 7

Description: With a name like Human-Tim + Robot-Tim, you would probably forgiven if you were expecting this album to be all techno, a Daft Punk for kids. Instead, this album, the second from the alter ego of Chicago-area musician Tim Knuth, might appeal more to fans of the rootsy Chicagoland label Bloodshot Records. (Should the label ever wish to release a sequel to their classic The Bottle Let Me Down compilation, "Little Bob's Big Day" is a must.) The title track is a nifty little metaphor in song, while "Hey Little Doggie" features some Southern rock riffs and a kid-centric song about pets. With its songs about space, animals, and sharing (and, hilariously and educationally, the "Salivary Gland"), the 46-minute album is targeted right at kindergarteners and kids just on either side of that milestone. Robots might like it, but your 5-year-old will like it more. Recommended.

Puppy Dog Jig - Owen Duggan

Artist: Owen Duggan

Album: Puppy Dog Jig

Age Range: 1 through 5

Description: It's been a long time to wait for the follow-up kids' album from Texan Owen Duggan, nearly eight years since An Elephant Never Forgets. But here it is! And while the target audience for his first album has long since aged out of his demographic, there's a whole new preschool-aged crowd who can be introduced to Duggan's sweet, gentle voice and song selections. There are a bunch of animal-related songs, a mix of Duggan originals and covers, including, just as I'd requested eight years ago, a cover of "Puff the Magic Dragon." There is no sly humor targeted at the parents here, just child-focused folk music with touches of bluegrass, Celtic, and jazz. The 28-minute album isn't meant for the families look to RAWK, but for families looking for a Raffi old-school sound that isn't, you know, Raffi himself, Puppy Dog Jig is worth a listen. Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of this album for possible review.