Baby Banana, Debi Derryberry, Very Derryberry, Inc, 2009; $14; www.mybabybanana.com; ages 3 to 5.

Derryberry’s child-like voice is like a bowl of strawberry ice cream; her songs are delectable and her imagination soars in this charming collection. Among our top favorites are “Scoops of Ice Cream” and a tribute to sun-kissed skin in “Freckled Faced Freddie.” Derryberry, past NAPPA winner, is also a talented voice artist whose full-length reading of her storybook, Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree, makes the story come to life.
 

Pink! Rocknoceros, Rocknoceros, LLC, 2009; $15; www.rocknoceros.com; ages 2 to 6.

What do you get when you pair a kazoo with three guys from Virginia? Alternative rock from Rocknoceros, of course! Together with an educational underbelly, Pink! reminds listeners to tell their grandmothers how much they love them, describes how a train moves and the stations it stops at, teaches how to tell time, and more. Singing a capella with barbershop harmonies and imitating the sound of a train with drum brushes gives a glimpse into the imaginative style of this group.
 

Meltdown, Lanny Sherwin, Sandman Records, 2009; $10.98; www.sandmanrecords.com; ages 4 to 12.

Good songs with a great sense of humor make this album stand out from the pack. Sherwin is a gifted songwriter with musical roots in Nashville. All his songs are original takes. The title song tells us that everyone has a “Meltdown” sometimes, and offers tips on how to cope. “This is Not a Guitar” uses the instrument as a portal to the imagination; “Granny’s Got a Guitar” has everybody wondering why she can’t take up the electric guitar. Sherwin has even cloned himself for an eight-part vocal piece titled “A Cappella, Part 3” that’s hard to top.
 

There’s A Train, Bill Currier, We Kids Rock, 2009; $9.99; www.wekidsrock.com; up to age 5.

This album downright rocks! The songs are hip and Currier’s smoky voice sounds great on the tunes. The sound is straight ahead rock mixed with folk – a combination that begs for listener participation and gets the little ones up and dancing. Even Mom and Dad will appreciate the new arrangements of “Wheels on the Bus” and “Down By the Bay,” making these perennially favorite songs fun to listen to again and again!
 

Trio Lane Records, 2007; $15; www.parachuteexpress.com; for ages 1 to 4. If the kids don’t want Gymboree class to end, bring the fun home with Parachute Express, whose finely tooled songs satisfy every occasion. This CD is upbeat kiddie rock with guitar, piano, hand claps, and a bit of funk and calypso thrown in for good measure.

 

For more Parachute Express, check out:

Family Fun!

Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, Bill Childs, WRSI-FM, 2005-present; Radio Show; www.sparetherock.com and www.wrsi.com; all ages.

This is the finest family radio has to offer. The father/daughter team of Bill and Ella Childs delightfully serves up the best kid-friendly indie rock on the airwaves and online. Spinning current tunes made for kids like past NAPPA winners They Might Be Giants and Justin Roberts, and classic rock from the 1960s like Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Beatles, the show has a cross-generational appeal. Closing the gap are insightful kid-hosted, on-air interviews by Ella with the likes of Elizabeth Mitchell and popular kindie band Lunch Money.

 

The Moon Is Hiding: Lullabies for the Young and Young At Heart, Vesta Wells Johnson, Vesta Wells Johnson Music, 2009; $15; www.madeinsouthdakota.com; all ages.

There is an old-time, dreamy feel to this CD that stirs the memory banks of youth. Piano and vocals carry a selection of traditional lullabies, contemporary tunes and original songs. Something about the piano makes it feel as if it were in the other room and baby is listening and nodding off to dreamland … Zzzzzzz.
 

Favorite Children’s Songs/Canciones Favoritas Para Niños, various artists, Pacific Entertainment, 2008; $9.95 double CD; www.babygenius.com; for babies to age 3. Fifteen favorite children’s songs teach kids Spanish the sneaky way (or teach Spanish-speaking children English): Disc 1 is presented in Spanish and Disc 2 in English. This friendly and enthusiastic recording makes for fun sing-alongs and movin’ to the music.

For more bilingual fun, try:

Bilingual Zingo! by ThinkFun
Quinito, Day and Night (Book)

Carpet Square Records, 2008; $15; www.justinrobertsmusic.com; for ages 3 to 8. Roberts has the pulse of contemporary family music in hand, so no wonder parents are in the front row – this album is written with you in mind, too. Full of clever and goofy wordplay, these catchy pop songs are populated with everyday heroes and everyday victories: the coolest stay-at-home dad ever, a dedicated elementary-school crossing guard and the dreamy young outfielder who just can’t concentrate on the game, but still catches that ever-important pop fly!

 

For more from Justin Roberts, check out:

Happy Accidents, Billy Jonas, Bang a Bucket Music, 2009; $15; www.billyjonas.com; ages 6 and up.

Though it’s just about impossible to bottle the essence of a Billy Jonas live concert on CD, this album comes close! Strong vocals, hip songs, great players and terrific percussion abound on this 21-song set list. Jonas makes instruments out of recycled objects, especially percussion instruments, and his shows involve a lot of improvisation and audience participation.