I thought I was past the whole need-for-a-lullaby thing until my five year old started whispering I'm Scared into my ear every night at 2AM. Now, I think he needs a little Charlie Hope crooning into his ear from her World of Dreams CD, t…
There are days when I feel like a constant killjoy to my kids, but just as our day is flushing down the proverbial toilet, I try to remember one thing that can usually turn things around: Fun music that knocks our socks off. Our latest m…
We've been unabashed fans of the talented and adorable A Cappella group, Straight No Chaser , ever since their unbelievable rendition of 12 Days of Christmas made the YouTube rounds a few years back. (You know, the one with Toto's Africa…
I know some purists who think kids' music education should focus only on the "classics," and, thanks to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, we've got that down. But, you don't need to hear my 7 year-old warbling Barracuda to know that there is so…
I've come across two CDs from musicians who usually perform for adults, but have recently turned their collective talent toward the music for the younger set. Using distinct voices, a whole slew of instruments and music grounded in folk,…
One of the best ways I've found to get a message to stick with my kids is through music, and the new CD My Changing Planet has us appreciating the specialness of our planet a little more this Earth Day. Like a save-the-earth version of F…
More predictable kids' music CD's throw in a few songs about cuddly toys, naptime and making friends. Kindie-rock darling Uncle Rock croons instead about his friend Bigfoot, staying up the night the lights went out, and a big garbage bar…
As Cool Mom Picks' de facto kids' music reviewer, I'm as big a fan of indie, family-friendly music as even the fans who are oh, 30-35 years younger than I am. But, that's not going to stop me from pogoing around the Kindiefest Festival o…
I get to the movie theater about once a year, so it's no surprise I totally missed Ponyo when it first came out. But ever since I heard the buzz around this animated film by Japan's Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli, I've been waiting…
I've never been much of a jazz fan, maybe because it conjures up images of being stuck in a smokey bar during an endless amatuer improv-and-scat sessions. But, I have to admit that when packaged into bite-sized, three-minutes-and-under p…
I have not been so eager for a Disney DVD release since...well, ever, as I have been with the Princess and the Frog DVD which is just out today. After seeing the film a few months ago with my kids in theaters (my full gushy raving review…
The epic new documentary series, Discovery LIFE isn't for everyone. I mean, surely there are people out there who just don't like cool things. Who don't like watching some of the most miraculous animal footage every filmed. Who would fin…
2009 may not have been the best year for home mortgages or Tiger Woods, but for those of us with kids, it was a great time to be listening to music. It was so terrific, in fact, that I still have a few ear-worthy CD's that you should con…
Oh, Kiki magazine , where have you been all my daughter's life? Where are the scantily clad waifs in thousand-dollar outfits? Where are all the advertisements for more stuff that no one needs? Where are the tips and tricks about how to l…
Question: Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? Answer: 1. Be a puppet. 2. Be Ricky Gervais. 3. Win the 4th Annual Aniboom Awards 4 Sesame Street Competition . It's that easy, animators. We've just learned that Sesame Street has t…
My kids are at the age where watching Mommy boogie across the kitchen floor is met with groans. And I'm hearing groans from them a lot now that I've got Charity and the JAMband's danceworthy double kids' music CD, Party Like a Twinkle St…
President's Day has typically marked nothing more than a vacation day to my kids. But this year, I feel pretty good that they have actually learned something about their government after watching the smart but entertaining So, You Want t…
Laurie Berkner, the melodic singing songstress that I most recently loved when I reviewed Rocketship Run , is back to raise awareness for a worthy organization called the Pajama Program by giving us a sort of singing Valentine. Her love …
With so much "together" time indoors these cold winter months, my kids' music has become my music. So I had better like what they have on heavy rotation these days. With their current favorite CD du jour, the new All Around Ralph's World…
I'm so excited to be speaking on a panel this spring at the third annual Kindiefest , the conference for all that's cool in family music (or as we affectionately call it, kindie rock) . In other words, the kinds of CD reviews you see on …
I require a vat of coffee and some peppy tunes to get me going in the morning, and my kids are turning out to be just like me, minus the java infusion. The aptly named Rise and Shine kids' music album by Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke has the ki…
When I first discovered the show last year, I didn't think I could be any more impressed with Dottie's Magic Pockets as cool kid entertainment. But they've gone and done it again with their newly-released CD, The Super Secret Seashell Ca…
I want my kids to know that Martin Luther King Day represents more than a three-day weekend. But instead of watching more grown-up documentaries that can be a bit scary for little eyes, I'm thrilled to have a copy of Scholastic's new DVD…
If you're looking to make the most of your final hours together with the kids before school starts up again , hit the local theater and see the excellent The Princess and the Frog , stat. Even this cynical, princess-wary mama fell in lov…