This box set compiles three lively CDs aimed at toddlers but equally as appealing
to preschoolers. It’s so complete you’d be hard-pressed not
to find an all-time favorite in this 65-track collection.
Though classical music for babies and toddlers has received plenty of attention
recently, many parents want to add some fun and familiar tunes to their toddlers’
(and preschoolers’) musical repertoire. This set may not necessarily be
as pleasing to adult ears as it is to those of young children, but it is a whole
lot of fun and a bargain to boot.
Three previously released children’s recordings are found in this set,
each featuring favorite songs with slightly different themes. Silly Favorites,
as the title suggests, contains the set’s most playful (and probably most
grating for parents) tracks, such as "Apples and Bananas," with its
vowel switching that renders the title phrase silly indeed, and "John Jacob
Jingleheimer Schmidt." Playtime Favorites focuses mostly on interactive
activity songs, and Toddler Favorites features a little bit of every
style.
With this set, you’ll find a toddler-sung "The Alphabet Song,"
"Wheels on the Bus" (twice), "Frere Jacques," "Miss
Mary Mack," and a whole lot more. Some lesser-known songs are here as well.
Though there is no mistaking Toddler Trio for something other than a
collection of favorites, it is not without its interesting variations and original
twists. There’s a fun medley entitled "It’s Raining/Itsy Bitsy
Spider," for example, and a particularly pleasant variation of "Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star."
The fact that children in the recordings’ target age group do a lot of
the singing helps encourage more reluctant little listeners to sing along. A
few parents might prefer better pronunciation models, but preschoolers actually
have a lot of fun as they proudly recognize and contrast their own speech with
that of the child singers. As well, the sometimes off-key and "r"-less
voices are quite endearing and a nice change from the more common, perfectly
rehearsed child accompaniments. In fact, some kids on the CDs even do a little
yell-singing! A number of songs sound a little as if they were snatched from
a nursery school performance, which is rather charming. "Baa Baa Black
Sheep," for example, starts off with a playful singer who keeps
getting the color of the sheep wrong, and preschoolers are quick to correct
her and giggle along.
Parents who are easily annoyed by super silliness or sweetness in children’s
recordings might look elsewhere (to a more levelheaded approach with Hap Palmer
or more digestible children’s recordings such as those of Raffi, for example);
but the truth is, young children have a great time with this collection of songs.
Even reluctant little singers and dancers will find the tracks easy to enjoy.
The songs are lively, and many are busy with children’s commentary and
accompaniment. Most feature adults and children either singing together or taking
turns delivering the lyrics.
One benefit of a favorites collection is that these songs have been around
for a long time for good reason–they have proven appeal and offer some
educational value as well. Many feature repetitive and easy-to-pick-up lyrics;
some encourage movement and dance and help with coordination skills; still others
incorporate counting, the alphabet, right/left concepts, and more.
While many parents won’t appreciate listening to this title day-in and
day-out, it nonetheless makes a nice, economical addition to a family’s
music collection. It may be particularly handy for new parents who wish to brush
up on popular children’s tunes. This set features a pleasingly balanced
combination of adult and child performances–and the children are charming
and natural. Plenty of nonsense, boisterous and exaggerated sound effects, and
the appeal of singing along with their peers all contribute to the set’s
popularity with little ones. It’s probably an ideal collection for the
car and may be especially helpful when children require a boost, whether to
avoid an unscheduled nap or to prevent impending grumpiness.
