Smart Songs for Active Children

PreS-Gr 3—These 16 original tunes feature topics relevant to early childhood: skip-counting ("Count by Three"), self-esteem ("No One's Going to Keep Me Down"), musical instruments ("Dance the Day Away—Instrument Version"), washing your hands ("Wash Your Hands"), and a list of Spanish-speaking countries ("They Speak Spanish [but in Brazil, They Speak Portuguese]"). Nunes's smooth baritone voice is similar to Bill Harley's, particularly when he is performing story songs ("Manuel the Great," a song about the circus star). His daughter Julia sings lead on a couple of songs ("If I Could Write One Song" and "The Rain Falls on Everyone"). Several songs are set to Latin beats, resulting in a pleasant mix of tempos. While this has great appeal for children, parents won't mind listening to this—perhaps finding themselves singing along, too.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH