For those of you who live in more temperate climes, where winter is something you watch other people suffer through on TV, and snow is something you wish you had on Christmas, the idea of “spring fever” might seem like an old wives’ tale — like knuckle-cracking causing arthritis, or Karl Rove being the voice of Barney the Dinosaur. Speaking as a parent of two small children in the hills of New Hampshire, however, I can tell you it’s very much a real thing, and if someone happens to come up with something awesome for your kids to do on a beautiful spring day when their bodies are drunk with March sunlight, you may wish to throw a parade in their honor. So far as I know, no one has ever thrown a parade for
Read More »Here’s where we’ll be tomorrow: If you’re in the Massachusetts area, come on by! Kids’ music and authors all day, and it’s free! Click on the picture for more details!
Read More »Now here’s an album that lives up to its title. The latest effort from Robert Burke Warren, a.k.a. Uncle Rock, further illustrates his gift for music that plays to kids without playing down to them — and addresses important topics in the bargain. Which isn’t to say The Big Picture is all serious: These 14 tracks touch on suitably kid-sized stuff like animals (“Leave the Bees Be,” “Sneaky Snake”), feelings (“Shake It Off!”), and mythical creatures (“My Friend Bigfoot”), and there’s even room for a song about a certain Texan rock legend’s distinctive singing style (“Buddy Holly’s Got the Hiccups”). But what really sets The Big Picture apart is the way Uncle Rock talks about the, um, big picture — like where garbage goes after we throw it away (“There Is No Away,” “Garbage Barge”),
Read More »Don’t feel like shelling out to fill your kids’ Easter baskets with toys and candy this year? Never fear! Disney’s giving away a whole bunch of stuff to celebrate the holiday, and if you’re our lucky winner, all you’ll have to do is accept delivery of this mound of April bounty from your sweating, angry mailman. Here’s what you (and, uh, your kids) stand to win: Winners will receive a Disney-themed Easter Basket that values over $200, including Blu-ray & DVD Combo Packs for the exciting new releases of Ponyo, The Princess and the Frog, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Special Editions; a special Princess Tiana & Prince Naveen Wedding Doll Playset that is only available in Disney Stores, an adorable Ponyo plush toy, and assorted holiday chocolates and Easter eggs. Sounds pretty great,
Read More »They’re called Ratboy Jr., their album comes in a brown sleeve made out of 100% recycled paper, and its second track includes the words “everything is wonderful, including the dirt.” I probably don’t need to tell you what kind of music to expect from Smorgasbord, but just in case you’re still unclear, I’ll spell it out for you: Don’t expect a lot of studio polish, and if you’re the type of parent who’d rather see your kid at Gymboree than splashing in the mud, or if you greet things like composting with an eyeroll, then you should probably stick with your Laurie Berkner CDs. But if you like wild and woolly funky folk, feel free to dive face-first into Ratboy Jr.’s Smorgasbord‘s 15 tracks of fun. Charmingly ragged harmonies, warm brass, and a slightly jammy
Read More »Even if you aren’t the kind of person who tends to get caught up in hype, you have to admit that last year’s Princess and the Frog made for a pretty killer story. The studio that invented longform animation, then abandoned it for CGI, returning to its classic roots…led by the guy who directed Toy Story and helped start sounding traditional animation’s death knell in the first place? What could be more perfect? Well, in Disney’s eyes, the movie’s eventual $264 million worldwide gross could have been a little bigger — and as far as most critics were concerned, The Princess and the Frog was a solid, albeit disappointingly slight, effort that didn’t quite live up to its advance billing. (Not that anything could have, but whatever.) For a studio that spends an inordinate amount
Read More »You know that movie If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium? Well, in my mailbox, if it’s Tuesday, it must be Putumayo. While the rest of the recording industry folds in on itself like a coke-dusted origami, Putumayo is apparently making out like gangbusters, because they’ve released approximately 400,000 CDs of world music for all occasions; I keep waiting for the day I open a Putumayo envelope to find Music for When You Want Dessert Before Dinner or Swinging Songs for Young Lovers. Until then, here’s Putumayo Kids Presents: Jazz Playground, and although I enjoy teasing Putumayo — and saying the company’s name out loud, then giggling — I can’t pretend this 13-song collection isn’t yet another winner from the label. You might think world music compilations for kids would be dry, but Putumayo doesn’t
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