October 2008 Notable Toys — Audio & CD

"A Child’s Christmas: Holiday Songs & Carols" offers a mix of children’s favorite holiday songs, beautifully arranged traditional carols, two stories and more to get families in the mood for Christmas. The CD contains 74 minutes of entertainment, song lyrics, and beautiful, 100-percent-recycled cardboard booklets. "Rock Me Baby Records offers collections of traditional songs (with a twist) that bridge generations with music and can become the soundtrack to a young child's life," VP Amy Steadman of Rock Me Baby Records told TDmonthly. This product received an iParenting Media Award. Launch date: September 2, 2008.

This award-winning CD of Spanish songs for children is full of fun, upbeat songs that teach children Spanish vocabulary, including letters, numbers, colors, parts of the body, activities and more. It surveys the wide landscape of Latin rhythms from salsa and merengue to corridos, cumbias, rumbas, rancheras and rock and roll. "The CD includes a Parents' and Teachers' Translation Guide that translates every word in the CD, as well as including all lyrics," CEO Heidi Stock of Whistlefritz told TDmonthly. This product received a 2008 iParenting Media Award. Launch date: May 21, 2008.

Personalized children's CDs sing or say your child's name multiple times. A personal message printed on the label makes it even more special. More than 4,000 phonetic names are available in 50+ collections. Funshine Music represents the BEST producers of these unique gifts for kids. "The ability to represent the top four producers from just one source — Funshine Music — [creates] a one-stop shopping opportunity for personalized music," said Owner Tricia Shelton of Funshine Music, noting that she reps Mediak, Just Me! Music, Kids' Juke Box/Marvel for Kids, and That's Me Sports. Launch date: 2008.

Lovely Baby creator, Raimond Lap, has composed a collection of 10 special songs celebrating the importance of moms everywhere, and their integral role in their baby's development. This unique collection will surely strengthen the natural bond between mother and child. "Lovely Baby is the only original music series in the world specifically created for babies. Virtually all others consist of music that is altered and rehashed to appeal to parents, with no regard for how it might affect babies," Gary Brody, president of Lovely Baby Music, told TDmonthly.

Due to the overwhelming reaction to the original "Baby Christmas" CD, Raimond Lap returned to the studio to create the "Baby Christmas 2" CD. It features eleven beautiful songs for this special time of year, including four original compositions. "Lovely Baby is the only original music series in the world specifically created for babies. Virtually all others consist of music that is altered and rehashed to appeal to parents, with no regard for how it might affect babies," Gary Brody, president of Lovely Baby Music, told TDmonthly. Launch date: December 2007.

Consisting of classic nursery rhymes, these delightful selections are both spoken and sung, and ALL have music accompanying them. What fun to remember “Hey Diddle Diddle,” “Humpty Dumpty,” “The Muffin Man,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and even the “House That Jack Built!” Many other favorite nursery rhymes are also included, using children and adults to sing and tell the tales.

Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora have a tea party with your daughter singing HER name! Every little girl can be a Princess; it says so right in the music!

You Can Do Anything is from the Huesman/Davis Mediak team and is the long-awaited sequel to the original Playtime CD.  With all original music, it uses the child’s name an amazing 106 times!

Leonardo's second CD is full of positive messages for kids, supported by a teen chorus and rock 'n' roll band. The 15-track album features choruses suitable for sing-alongs and displays a number of instruments, including guitars, drums, a flute and even a ukulele. Songs include "Surfin' on my Guitar," "Under the Sea" and "Showtime."

Thirteen tracks of playful music from all over Africa, Putumayo's African Playground is a colorful array of tunes for dancing, singing, and playing. Putumayo's celebration of these deep musical traditions introduces children to aspects of many cultures, and liner notes included with the CD provide fun facts about the artists.
- “[We] sell about 100 per month” of Putumayo CDs, Tina Benoit, Operations Manager of Kidstown in So. Burlington, Vt., told TDmonthly in July 2008.
- Almost 20 percent of 68 retailers surveyed in summer 2008 listed Putumayo as their top-selling line of children's music.
- “These songs provide a sampling of African musical styles and a calm, restful listening spot for your day,” said Beth Blenz-Clucas, publicist for Putumayo Kids.

Keep children entertained with this audio coloring book. The story unfolds as kids color in the pages while listening to the audio playback, which is available in both English and Spanish.

Have you ever wanted to spend a day with an octopus, a starfish, a sea otter, or a penguin? Well, now you can with Wee Sing Under the Sea. Enter the beautiful world beneath the waves as you join Devin and his loveable Granny on their sparkling underwater adventure. Peek through the seaweed and meet Ink the Octopus, Missy Turtle, Spike the Puffer Fish, and all their aquatic acquaintances as they try to help Weeber the Penguin find his way back to the South Pole. Plus, see if they can figure out what’s ailing little Baby Ottie the Sea Otter. Come sing, dance, and swim along with over 20 classic and original songs and join the whole wet and wonderful gang as you discover that the special world of Wee Sing even exists Under the Sea!

What would it be like to slide into a world of ice cream mountains and lemonade streams? Come and see in The Big Rock Candy Mountains! Follow Lisa and her friends, the Snoodle Doodles, on a scrumptious musical adventure to a magical land right out of a child’s dream.

A mysterious package from Timbuktu? A door knocker that rattles off riddles? Music boxes that come to life? Piccolo Pizza and Piano Pudding? Where will you find such magical, musical, mysterious things? At Uncle Rubato’s Marvelous Musical Mansion!

Songs on this dance-oriented, 19-track album include "The Fairy Dance," "La Bamba" and "The Shimmie Shake!" It includes special guests Troy Cassar-Daley and Leo Sayer.

Featuring songs by Gilles Vigneault, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch and performed by Hart-Rougé, this album includes nursery rhymes, goodnight stories and engaging melodies. The disc includes two animated music videos and printable files with lyrics and illustrations.