World of Wonder

PreS-Gr 3—San Francisco-based singer/songwriter Alison Faith Levy, formerly the lead singer of the kindie band The Sippy Cups, returns to the kid music scene with her first solo album. Each song has Levy's trademark big production sound, whether a sensitive ballad, an up-tempo rocking number, or a middle-of-the-road tune. Lyrics of the ten original songs are smart and have lots of kid appeal. Highlights include a large-sounding rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with several added verses, the participation/movement songs "Reach for the Sky/Like a Spinning Top" (though these are technically two different songs, the gospel-inspired "Reach" leads smoothly into the rocking "Top"), the joyous soft-shoe/lullaby "Baby Anteater," and the classic folksong, "I Had a Rooster." Levy closes the recording with "One More Cupcake, a percussion-driven request for "just one more" because one treat is often just not enough. Welcome back, Alison!–Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH