ROVEN The Runaway Bunny. 1,3 CHAPPELL Paddington Bear’s First Concert. 2 KLEINSINGER Tubby the Tuba 2 • Barry Wordsworth, cond; Brooke Shields (nar); 1 Stephen Fry (nar); 2 Ittai Shapira (vn); 3 Royal PO • SONY 22855 (66:42)


What follows may disqualify me as a reviewer of the above. First, I never grew up, and at age 62, I have no intention of doing so. Second, I still occasionally watch an episode Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood solely on the grounds that he likes me just the way I am—one of the most empowering benedictions ever bestowed upon a child of any age. As the father of two grown and quite accomplished daughters who were daily regaled during their formative years by the choicest examples of children’s lit that my late wife, a children’s librarian, could obtain, I am well acquainted with the texts that so eloquently inform this release. The Runaway Bunny is from Margaret Brown’s classic 1942 children’s book of the same title; Paddington Bear’s First Concert is based on Michael Bond’s series of children’s books about a marmalade eating bear “from Darkest Peru”; and Tubby the Tuba is the word-half of the 1941–1945 collaboration between author/actor Michael Tripp and composer George Kleinsinger, which over the years has been successfully disseminated via multiple recordings and film animations, and which has been cited by the Library of Congress in 2006 as a landmark in audio history.


The Runaway Bunny was originally conceived by composer Glen Roven as a piece for solo violin, singer, and orchestra—designed as a vehicle for Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira. In the course of the project’s development, Shapira suggested substituting a narrator for the singer. Given the results, it was an excellent choice that spotlights the powerful eloquence of the seemingly modestly unpoetic words. I found the music coupled with Brooke Shields’s narration deeply moving.


Most of the “audio product” aimed at children which has come across my desk over the years has been plagued by mawkishness, condescension, terminal cuteness—afflictions that most children I know find inherently repulsive. On that topic I recently had a conversation with my eldest daughter, who is currently continuing her anthropological studies of Central Asia on a Fulbright grant in Helsinki. I asked her if she, like me, ever felt embarrassed when adults spoke to us, when we were children, in baby talk. Her answer, “I felt more sorry and embarrassed for the adults than for myself.”


The texts on this release are self-recommending and are delivered by Brooke Shields and Stephen Fry as one ageless human being speaking to another, and in ways that uncannily convey the metaphorically richness of the words. The music is witty, urbane, often ironic, and as sophisticated as all children inherently are until our adult-controlled world succeeds in dumbing them down. The music to The Runaway Bunny proves to be a fine ad hoc violin concerto that highlights Ittai Shapira’s estimable skills.


One of this offering’s agendas is to introduce children to the joys and richness of the symphony orchestra. To put this into a larger perspective, this offering is, in its own way, on the exalted level of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf , or Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.


The sound is up to the highest of current standards, and the performances by the Royal Philharmonic conducted by Barry Wordsworth show them in fine fettle, as have so many others by him that currently grace my library.


In searching for a way to close this piece, I was tempted to say something to the effect of “recommended to the child in all of us.” Instead I will take my leave by saying that it helps us to respect the child in all of us, especially that which resides in our children.


FANFARE: William Zagorski

SAINT-SAENS: Carnival of the Animals / RAVEL: Mother Goose (

Michael Hurd was a pioneer in composing brief, witty and, above all, performable choral music for children to enjoy. When Jonah-Man Jazz arrived in 1966, young singers and their teachers had modern-sounding music to make and share.

This is a Spoken Word album:
"Sinbad" and other exotic tales narrated by Bernard Cribbins over music by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Introduce your little one to the spiritually uplifting music of the Baroque with timeless favorites carefully chosen for young ears. Parents will also love this collection! 22 all-instrumental tracks.

Realizing that early exposure is key to a lifetime of classical enjoyment, Amelia and pianist Carol Rosenberger (now Delos’ director), made the production of recordings for the very young one of their pet priorities. The resulting Family Classics Series (numbering more than 25 albums) has been hailed by critics and customers alike as the finest and most comprehensive series ever produced for young people. And a key component of this vibrant and varied series is the eleven-disc array of “Baby Needs” recordings. Three of these are being re-released, all with attractive new artwork. “Baby Needs Baroque” (DE 1609) is a varied and charming collection of Baroque-era jewels, selected individually for their “kid appeal.” Similarly, “Baby Needs Beethoven” (DE 1610) and “Baby Needs More Mozart” (DE 1614) offer gentle and accessible selections from their respective composers that are sure to captivate and soothe the spirits of little people … big people too! It’s family listening at its best.

Footprint Records is proud to present a new release by the compelling Swedish vocal quartet Tetra. Once again, Tetra takes us around the world- this time, in search of lullabies. As always, they treat us to a cultural feast, deliciously prepared and spiced with their tasteful arrangements for vocals and percussion. They also have some extra star power, with appearances by Jonas Simonson, flutes; Ahmad al-Khatib, oud; and Senegal’s spellbinding Adama Cissokho. Four distinctive vocalists come together in Tetra, all sharing a world music background: Ingrid Brannstrom represents the Nordic folk tradition, while Sanna Kallman sweeps us off to the Caribbean. Anna Ottertun leads the way to the Arabic culture sphere, and Maria Stellas has Greek ornamentation in her blood. This is Tetra’s third release on the Footprint label, following “Hiyya” and “Viv tolerans.”

This CD features traditional or new songs interpreted by Marcel Zaragoza to illustrate each of the four seasons : birdsongs, the rain, the snow, school games, summer and vacations. A joyful way to initiate the children to the sound dimension of their life. In French.

It's all here: bounces, lullabies, songs for tickling and wiggling…music and rhymes from Feierabend's wonderful early childhood books! Each CD combines the very best for each age group from all 5 books—more than 60 selections on each recording, complete with a fully illustrated booklet of lyrics and special directions. All songs are performed with only one voice, guitar and string bass, following Feierabend's philosophy that simplicity in musical accompaniment makes it easier for children to focus on the important melody of the song. With this collection, John M. Feierabend and Luann Saunders present a simple way to make a connection between adult and child and develop a child's imagination, as well as enjoy a wonderful playtime together.

MUSIC FOR CHILDREN 4: MOZART TO GO

MUSIQUE POUR ENFANTS 4: MOZART POUR APPORTER

MUSIQUE POUR BEBES 2: FAIS DE BEAUX REVES

EFECTO MOZART: MUSICA PARA BEBES 3 / VARIOUS

EFECTO MOZART: MUSICA PARA NINOS 2 / VARIOUS

EFECTO MOZART: MUSICA PARA RECIEN NACIDOS / VAR

MUSIQUE POUR NOUVEAU-NES: UN DEBUT PROMETTEUR

EFECTO MOZART: MUSICA PARA MAMAS & FUTURAS / VAR

EFECTO MOZART: MUSICA PARA NINOS 4 / VARIOUS

MUSIQUE POUR ENFANTS

Lebanese-born, Canadian-Armenian-American soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian is as celebrated for her beauty, dynamic presence, and style as for her strikingly multidimensional voice. With this deeply personal project, she gathers a selection of haunting and poignant lullabies that draw on the memories and experiences of the Armenian people. 29 tracks trace an arc from the Ottoman Empire through the Genocide and beyond, with songs and transcriptions by the country’s beloved folk composer Gomidas Vartabed, Parsegh Ganatchian who joined the diaspora in Lebanon, and Ganatchian’s contemporary Mihran Toumajan. For Isabel, these evocative songs span two centuries and five generations. Sung by her great-grandmother, grandmother and mother, and now to her own children, Isabel’s Armenian Songs have an appeal to children of all ages.

REVIEW:

The arrangements are enlivened by their variety, featuring not only flute and harp but the less familiar and quite haunting duduk. All this said, there are a lot of lullabies on the program, in similar tempos, and one wonders whether an "Armenian Songs for Children and Others" program, with other examples of the abundant folk-influenced material in the Armenian tradition, might have been a bit livelier. Certainly, though, listeners with children are invited to try the album out.

– AllMusicGuide.com (James Manheim)

The great American folk songs and rhymes on this release have enthralled young people for generations. This recording embodies the true spirit of these songs, delightfully sung by Jill Trinka and accompanied by a wide variety of acoustic instruments, including guitar, dulcimer, autoharp, piano, percussion, string bass, and violin. The illustrated album booklet includes complete lyrics and song directions. And all of the performances are in step with John M. Feierabend's philosophy of providing a nurturing environment for musical growth. Children and their families are sure to enjoy this and the other imaginative and engaging albums drawn from John's eight collections of folk songs for kids ages three and up. UPDATE: Over the past year, a committee formed by the Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME) developed a set of standards for evaluating repertoire associated with the curriculum. With their guidance, we have removed several songs that were deemed to be harmful, derogatory, or disrespectful in regard to their histories or context. We have also added a number of new songs and rhymes from a variety of world cultures. A link is available on the product page at www. Giamusic. com that details these revisions for the curriculum book and the supplemental folk song collections.

It's time for Beethoven to be recognized as an important part of the young-of-age or -spirit's musical curriculum. Baby Needs Beethoven is an excellent place to start! This release explores all aspects of Beethoven's more introspective work, with music from his symphonies and chamber works to the solo performances for piano. The pieces chosen may be familiar to many, but there are a few lesser-known gems that will be of interest even to the Beethoven connoisseur.

Classical Music

In Classic Folk Songs for Kids, curator Jeff Place culls a cross-section of 26 classics from the Smithsonian Folkways vaults to tell an intriguing story of American signature sing-alongs. The songs' origins are as fascinating as the songs are fun: centuries-old European ballads, an American Revolutionary tune, 19th-century American folksongs, African-derived game songs, a sea chantey, a railroad jingle, camp songs, and even an opera song! And the singers themselves are a who's who of American folk music artistry-Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Suni Paz, Tom Glazer, Lord Invader, and many more. 56 minutes, 40-page booklet with lyrics.

“You have to be an irredeemably crusty curmudgeon not to respond to the warmth and wonder of Prokofiev’s best-known work.” –Jim Svejda, The Record Shelf. Written for children, this enchants music-lovers of all ages. This highly recommended recording is performed with narration by Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren. Also includes Wolf Tracks, narrated by former president Bill Clinton, a fun filled story about Peter’s grandson which teaches an important lesson about the balance of nature.