Various Artists "THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN: SONGS FOR BUMPY WAGON RIDES" (Bloodshot, 2002)
A cute little set of countrified kiddie tunes, some old, some new, and some less suitable for little ears than others. Lots of high-power talent on here, including Rosie Flores, Kelly Hogan, Jim & Jennie, Rex Hobart, Robbie Fulks, The Waco Brothers, and the ever-popular Austin ensemble, the Cornell Hurd Band, whose "Don't Wipe Your Face On Your Shirt" is one of the album's highlights. Some of these songs really do connect on that super-goofy "kid" level, although others seems a bit too grown-up to me -- a little less melodic than what might be of interest to the under-8 crowd. Still, the songs that are fun are a gas, and if used properly this album should get the little people all charged up. Recommended.

Various Artists "SING ALONG WITH PUTUMAYO" (Putumayo, 2004)
A excellent set of kid's music with folk scene stalwarts such as Arlo Guthrie, Taj Mahal and Tim O'Brien joined by bluegrassers Tim O'Brien and Rhonda Vincent and blues pickers Keb Mo, Guy Davis and Eric Bibb, as well as Americana-country types such as Rosie Flores... An impressive lineup, sure, but better still is the calibre of songwriting, and the actual kid friendliness of it all. This is a really fun album! Fun, as in, little kids might actually like it, and might even sing along if you played it for them. Plenty of silly songs like "Bling-Blang," "Bananaphone" and "Bellybutton Song." Some songs are perky, like "Red, Red Robin"; others are instructive, like "Man Named All The Animals," and others still model assertiveness and communication skills, like Taj Mahal's excellent "Don't You Push Me Down," in which various kids stick up for themselves in unpleasant situations. I like this album a lot, and plan to keep a copy for my kid to listen to for years to come.

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