TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Audio & CD Product Category

Tooth Tunes by TIGER ELECTRONICS

This manual toothbrush allows children to hear music by such artists as Hilary Duff and Queen while brushing. A music chip containing a two-minute clip is embedded in the handle of each toothbrush, which works by streaming sound vibrations from the bristles to the teeth and transferring sound waves into the jawbone and inner ear. Three AAA batteries are included. Launch date: Fall 2006. 1/29/2007 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tubby the Tuba presents Play It Happy! by KOCH ENTERTAINMENT

Audiences have been charmed by the adventures of Tubby the Tuba for more than 60 years. Tubby plays oompah, oompah with his orchestra all day long, but he really wants to “dance with a pretty little tune.” A resourceful bullfrog and a jazz band show Tubby that everyone has the right to play his own melody. These classic characters are brought back to life with author/creator Paul Tripp’s original full orchestration and a new narration by Meredith Vieira of “The Today Show.” This is a musical treat for a whole new generation to enjoy the world’s most famous tuba. Launch date: October 3, 2006. 1/29/2007 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Princess Katie & Racer Steve: Songs for the Coolest Kids by ROCKETNYC

This album featuring married couple Princess Katie and Racer Steve includes “royal rock,” pop, country, reggae and jammin’ dance tunes. The high-energy 15-track CD addresses everyday issues with music and lyrics that are both fun and meaningful. According to Princess Katie and Racer Steve, “‘Songs for the Coolest Kids’ focuses on the emotional issues of children in a fun and exciting way without being ‘preachy.’ Our lyrics tackle issues many children face every day — bullying, returning what's not ours, telling the truth, the importance of trying.  It's music with a message that hasn't lost its cool.” Launch date: March 27, 2007. 1/22/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Terrible Twos: If You Ever See an Owl... by POQUITO RECORDS

This CD is teeming with irresistible playground pop designed to soothe the savage teething toddler and harried parent alike. The Terrible Twos is the alter ego of The New Amsterdams, a band led by Matthew Pryor, who also fronted the acclaimed rock outfit The Get Up Kids for nearly a decade. The album’s 15 tracks are mostly acoustic and were recorded in Pryor’s garage with guitarist Dustin Kinsey, bassist Eric McCann and drummer Bill Belzer. Launch date: April 10, 2007. 1/22/2007 (Price: $13.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Science and Scientists by David Angus by NAXOS OF AMERICA

Read by Benjamin Soames, Unabridged, 2CDs

How did the great scientists make their remarkable discoveries? And what kind of men were they? This companion volume to Inventors and their Inventions introduces the work of 10 men to younger readers, and range from the world of Ancient Greece to the 20th century discovery of DNA. Among them are the crucial discovery the earth goes around the sun (Galileo), the principle of gravity (Newton), the evolution of the species (Darwin) and the principle of inherited characteristics or genetics (Mendel). Part of the Naxos AudioBooks educational series on key figures in history, and of particular interest to parents encouraging their children to broaden their education and understanding of famous figures of the past. 1/11/2007 (Price: $17.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

More Famous Composers By Darren Henley by NAXOS OF AMERICA

Read by Marin Alsop, Unabridged, 2CDs

Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony and the world’s leading female conductor, presents the lives and works of six more composers in her award-winning series of classical music audiobooks published by Naxos AudioBooks. Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rachmaninov and John Williams are the figures she presents here with their music in the forefront.
How does Williams sit in the company of Haydn and Chopin?

Marin Alsop says ‘I have conducted John Williams in concert and I feel that in the contemporary context, and especially in the music he has written for films, he deserves to be upfront with the great classic composers.’

Excerpts from the big films including E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars are included in this unique concept album.

See also: Famous Composers and The Story of Classical Music, read by Marin Alsop and both winners of Audio Publishers Association’s The Audies award for Original Work. 1/11/2007 (Price: $17.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Best Of — Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall by NAXOS OF AMERICA

Read by Anna Bentinck and Daniel Philpott, Abridged, 4 CDs

Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall is an Edwardian history book for younger listeners which tells the story of England, concluding with the reign of Queen Victoria.

During 2006, Our Island Story was released unabridged in three volumes. Naxos AudioBooks now offers an attractive collection of the main stories and personalities. This skilful abridgement nevertheless maintains the narrative of British history, from the arrival of Julius Caesar to the height of the British Empire and the long reign of Queen Victoria. 1/11/2007 (Price: $28.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mark Twain box set: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by NAXOS OF AMERICA

Read by Garrick Hagon, Abridged, 4 CDs

Two of Twain’s great classics are combined here, adding to Naxos Audiobooks’ now well-established collection of box sets.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the story of a boy’s adventures growing up in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi river over a hundred years ago. The cheerful, adventurous hero plays truant to form a pirate band and, together with his best friend, Huckleberry Finn, finds fun, excitement, and buried treasure, along the shores of the great river.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, floating down the Mississippi on their raft, Huckleberry Finn and Jim, a runaway slave, find life filled with excitement and the spirit of adventure. Join Huck and Jim and their old friend Tom Sawyer as they come up against low-down thieves and murderers whilst being chased by Huck’s evil, drunken father who is after Huck’s treasure. It is a trip you’ll never tire of. 1/11/2007 (Price: $28.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Junior Homer by NAXOS OF AMERICA

Read by Benjamin Soames, UNABRIDGED, 4 CDs

The Tale of Troy by Benedict Flynn

There was once a time, nearly four thousand years ago, when the tall towers of a city called Troy reached gleaming into the sky; when its proud king fought against an invading army in a desperate siege. The Tale of Troy was so important to the ancient Greeks that its author, Homer, became a kind of hero. Long after his death artists, thinkers and ordinary people still look to his tale for inspiration. This exciting version of the famous story is retold especially for eight- to thirteen-year-olds.

Music: Stravinsky, Koechlin, Grieg, Gilson, Salter & Skinner, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Schreer, Ravel, Walton, Prokofiev

The Adventures of Odysseus by Benedict Flynn

The Adventures of Odysseus is the story of what happened after the Trojan War when Odysseus, the most cunning of all the Greek heroes, left Troy and made his way back to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. It was first told by a poet named Homer nearly three thousand years ago and is retold in this new version especially for younger listeners.

Music: Mahler, Schumann, Glazunov, Khachaturian, d’Indy, Bliss, Debussy 1/11/2007 (Price: $28.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Perfect Lullaby MPkey Downloadable Classical Music Collection by NAXOS OF AMERICA

The Perfect Lullaby MPkey is a downloadable music collection with four hours of beautiful classical music to soothe children. Produced by Naxos of America in partnership with eMusic, a leading online music download service, the Perfect Lullaby MPkey guides consumers to a special page on the eMusic site with step-by-step instructions and provides a pass code to automatically download tracks as universally-compatible MP3s. Listeners can enjoy the music by playing it on their computer, transferring it to a portable device — such as an iPod — or burning it to a CD. The Perfect Lullaby also includes a full-color booklet with words to famous lullabies. 1/5/2007 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Exercise Party by CASABLANCA KIDS INC.

Designed to get young bodies up and moving, Exercise Party features some of the best children’s artists, including Sharon, Lois & Bram, Parachute Express, Dog on Fleas and Jack Grunsky. This CD first warms up the muscles, then gets hearts pumping and bodies moving, and ends with cool down songs. A coloring page is included. This product received a spring 2007 Parents' Choice Award and 2007 National Parenting Publications GOLD Award.
— The CD differs from similar products because “the movement songs all cheerfully encourage the listeners to participate in a fun, friendly way,” A & R Manager Ricki Glinert of Casablanca Kids told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 30, 2007. 1/5/2007 (Price: $5.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Sing & Read With Greg & Steve – Rhyme Time by CREATIVE TEACHING PRESS

Award-winning Greg & Steve have transformed 12 of their most popular songs into delightful readers. These fun and whimsical stories address early childhood themes and invite children to follow the words while singing along with the CD ($14.99) that accompanies the series. The catchy melodies and lyrics teach children about colors, numbers, friendship and cooperation. A variety pack with one of each book retails for $35.88, and a variety pack with the CD retails for $50.87.
— “Greg & Steve have sold more than three million recordings, ranking them as the number one children’s music duo in the country,” Gabrielle Falcone, marketing coordinator for Creative Teaching Press Inc., told TDmonthly about the product’s uniqueness. Launch date: January 2007. 1/5/2007 (Price: $2.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Sing-A-Long With Elmo by JUST ME! MUSIC

Using state-of-the art technology, this incredibly entertaining and fun personalized CD begins with a greeting from Elmo to a specific child. The official voice of Elmo speaks and sings a designated child’s name 63 times for an unforgettable experience. Elmo recorded 1,600 children’s names, and each CD contains 23 personalized tracks (11 songs and 12 speaking tracks). “Each personalized CD is crafted in the studio with the actual characters and is a new product line for the specialty retail market with nationally recognized children’s brands,” Paul LaRue, president and CEO of Just Me! Music, told TDmonthly. Launch date: December 12, 2006. 12/29/2006 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Educator's Pack by KIDINI INC.

 12/29/2006 (Price: $489.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Kidini Double CD Set by KIDINI INC.

Help your child learn how to recognize, avoid or escape dangerous situations with the fun and friendly musical lessons of seven characters — all members of the Kidini Team. The Lesson & Song CD contains the stories and lessons of all seven characters. Each story and lesson is followed by a song for reinforcement. The Double CD Set also includes a 12-page booklet with the words to each of the songs.
— From focus groups, “we found out that the parents like it because it gives [them] a means to talk to their children,” Kidini President Tom Stopyra told TDmonthly. And, "the songs themselves, with the reinforcing lyrics, get the children involved.” ( Watch Video) 12/29/2006 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Little Mermaid CD Read Along by WALT DISNEY HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Walt Disney Records proudly introduces a CD Read-Along based on the hit film "The Little Mermaid." This magical underwater adventure features a 32-page storybook; multimedia CD that plays in both stereos and computers; bonus audio cassette; and a carry-along case that holds it all. Other exciting features include favorite character voices and vivid sound effects, and word-for-word narration to help build vocabulary and encourage independent reading. 12/27/2006

Juanita la Langosta Espanola (Stories in Music Series) by MAESTRO CLASSICS

This Spanish-language edition of “Juanita the Spanish Lobster” features a rude, overbearing lady lobster who wants to go to the land. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductor Stephen Simon and narrator Rosi Amador, brings out the story's themes of hubris, dreams and determination. It is translated by the renowned author/children's book translator Yanitzia Canetti, and features British composer David Haslam’s passionate flamenco and bel canto opera music. It’s “the first Spanish-language CD to introduce children to classical music. It’s fun, it’s lively, it’s very Latin,” Bonnie Ward Simon, president and executive producer of Magic Maestro Music, told TDmonthly. This product received a spring 2007 Parents' Choice Silver award. Launch date: February 2007. 12/14/2006 (Price: $16.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Stories in Music Series) by MAESTRO CLASSICS

This Parents’ Choice Silver award-winning release features narration and music telling the tale of the mighty wizard and his hapless assistant, Fritz. Additional tracks provide information about the composition, composer, story and music. The package includes a full-color program book with more information. “It is the only narrated full-length version [of] this great orchestral work made famous by Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in ‘Fantasia,’” Bonnie Ward Simon, president and executive producer of Magic Maestro Music, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2006. 12/14/2006 (Price: $16.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Play! by MILKSHAKE MUSIC

Celebrating children at play, this rocking album features songs about making-believe (“Pirates” and “Superhero”) and sports (“Baseball” and “Bowling”), as well as impressionistic tunes (“Plant a Garden” and “Magic Ride”). The band is led by singer Lisa Mathews and guitarist Mikel Gehl, whose videos appear on PBS KIDS and NOGGIN. The CD includes three bonus tracks written for the new season of Discovery Kids’ “ToddWorld.” “Milkshake creates kids' music that’s as magical as childhood itself, but packaged in a sophisticated pop-rock style that parents and older siblings will love, too,” Miles at Milkshake Music told TDmonthly. This product received a spring 2007 Parents' Choice Recommended seal. Launch date: November 2006. 12/14/2006 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

"All the Colors" With Ira Marlowe by BRAINY TUNES RECORDS

This 14-track CD, featuring Ira Marlowe, includes family-friendly melodic tales about a family that encounters a Triceratops while toy-shopping, an alien who must return to a planet where everything is in black-and-white, and much more. A 20-page illustrated lyric booklet accompanies the songs. The textured, dynamic arrangements prompt kids to get moving and participate creatively while the narrative, visual imagery in the songs engages imaginations. “These music-videos-without-the-video help build young minds…. Our philosophy is to challenge kids, deliberately including information just enough over-their-heads to trigger questions and curiosity,” Marlowe, creative director and producer at Brainy Tunes Records, told TDmonthly. This product is a winner of the Parents' Choice Award and the 2006 Mr. Dad Seal of Approval Award. Launch date: December 3, 2006. 12/14/2006 (Price: $12)

All Together Now by LITTLE MONSTER RECORDS

This collection of favorite Beatles hits is presented in a colorful storybook package, perfect for parent-child together time. It features Marshall Crenshaw, Rachael Yamagata, Steve Conte and the New York Dolls, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, and The Bangles singing with the inviting voices of children. The product is “packaged with a colorful illustrated board book for easy read and sing-along fun,” Beth Blenz-Clucas of Sugar Mountain PR told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2007. 12/14/2006 (Price: $13.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

iGAMEz by PRESSMAN TOY CORP.

Gather 3-4 friends and connect your MP3 players (sold separately) and music to iGAMEz. Secretly select a song and have your friends guess to gain points. iGAMEz comes in a number of  variations. 12/8/2006 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Fins and Grins by WIGGLE WORM RECORDS

From the bayou to the ocean, kids will have a whale of a good time with this CD from multi-award winning children’s musician Johnette Downing. The album is dedicated to the marine animals at New Orleans’ Aquarium of the Americas who perished in Hurricane Katrina, and their caretakers. It’s an “example of how music can be used to present lessons on zoology and ecology in a memorable, engaging way…packaged in songs that are musically satisfying enough to hold up magnificently under repeated adult listening,” Elizabeth Waldman Frazier of Waldmania! told TDmonthly. A minimum order of five is required. Launch date: February 13, 2007. 12/7/2006 (Price: $15.00)

Taxi: David Weinstone Presents Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals by MUSIC FOR AARDVARKS

This album joins the “Music for Aardvarks” collection, designed to reflect and celebrate the lives of children growing up in urban environments as well as themes universal to all children. With blues, jazz and rock influences and songs such as “Miami Grammy” and “Bagel,” David Weinstone brings authentic childhood experiences to life with sophistication, intelligence and musical excellence. “Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals was born as a love child of punk and preschool…and has been hailed by artists from Philip Glass to Sonic Youth,” Elizabeth Waldman Frazier of Waldmania! told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 16, 2007. 11/30/2006 (Price: $14.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta TWINKLE by HUNK-TA-BUNK-TA® MUSIC

Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta TWINKLE contains 12 songs written especially for toddlers. Award-winning songwriter Katherine Dines has created songs with catchy lyrics, easy-to-sing melodies and rhythms. This product received 2007 iParenting Media and iParenting Media "Hot" awards. 11/28/2006 (Price: $15.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]