Ready for Rockin'

PreS-Gr 2—Gathered from their music classes for parents and preschoolers, this remix includes a dozen songs from the group's Spring 2009 session. Chris and Jessie Apple lead the group and either wrote or co-wrote the songs, except for Charlotte Caffey's classic "We Got the Beat." Each track has a different beat or musical style and strives to deliver a gentle message. Standouts include "This Is My Guitar" (a country rock introduction to the musical instrument), "Nobody's Cat" (a jazzy story-song about the neighborhood stray cat), "Phil the Fish" (a Caribbean-flavored tale about a fish), "Stinky Pete the Pirate" (a sea chantey that encourages good hygiene in its tale about a smelly pirate), and "New Baby Brother Blues" (a lamentation about the new sibling). Surprises are found in some songs, such as "I Wanna Go Somewhere," which ends up jetting off to space and meeting an alien, and "Rock & Roll Zoo," which compares musical instruments with zoo animals. Rockin' fun for youngsters and their parents.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH