Outer Space

PreS-Gr 3—In his third album for children, Dino O'Dell (musician and educator Kevin Dolan) and his T-Rex All Stars continue the tradition of mixing a variety of musical genres together in a delightful blend of a dozen tunes about everything from outer space to flapjacks to the colors of the rainbow. Employing a wonderful assortment of musical instruments from the reggae beat of the drums to the jazzy saxophone, each song has its own story to tell. The fast-paced, frenetic "Sugar Breakfast Cereal" tell a the cautionary tale, while "Outer Space" is a great cumulative story that starts with a black hole, ends with a Martian, and begs for listeners to sing along. In addition, when it comes to information about the continents in "Around the World" and "The Planets," learning hasn't been this groovy since School House Rock. On "Dragonfly" and "Say Goodnight," slower and gentler tunes, O'Dell's vocals bring to mind the soothing sounds of James Taylor. Overall, an enjoyable album that will be welcome in all children's music collections.—Veronica De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library, IL