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.
