The eMusic Dozen: Sarah Lee Guthrie's Kids Music

In our family, right before bed time, we have a Beach Boys hour. This consists of turning up the Beach Boys nice and loud and dancing! It's a great way for the kids to run around and get out their every last bit of energy before they have to lay down and be still for the night. It's also fun for Johnny and I ‘cause we get to sing all those great harmony parts while we watch our kids go crazy! Not to mention kids have the best dance moves and I love to imitate them! My grandpa Woody says, and I take this to heart, "I don't wanna see kids act like grown ups, I'd like to see the grown-ups act like kids". I think we have a lot to learn from our children and dancing is just one of the many lessons.

There was a time when Olivia was about 4 years old that the Kinks were all we listened to in the van... and we were always in the van. One time, we were on the East side of Manhattan on our way home to Massachusetts and we put on Village Green, and everyone in the van &mdash including Olivia &mdash was singing every word and the next thing we knew we were half way across Long Island. We had lost track of all time and direction. That is a sign of a great record. I love all the strange and most interesting melodies that Ray Davies has come up with.

Woody's songs are completely contagious. Its no wonder everyone loves to sings them. These are the kind of songs that you can hear just one time and they become a part of your life. That's how I feel about of the songs on this record.

When Olivia was just born someone gave me a copy of this great album! I was so happy to know that people were out there making music for kids that wasn't dumbed-down, something that parents wanted to listen to also. I love the folk, bluegrass sound of guitar and mandolin and the soothing voices of Jerry and David singing together. It really doesn't get much better than this. Great songs, great sounds and just as they say in the title it really is for everyone.

Cisco was one of my grandfather's best friends. He was tall, handsome, and had a crystal clear voice. It is definitely a classic folk sound. I love to hear Cisco sing because you really can hear every word and his style is quite engaging. I think children will enjoy hearing these simply arranged versions of some good old folk songs.

This is another relatively new recording that our family has loved listening and singing along to. This man is really a genius. I love the inventive sounds that he has achieved on this recording. Olivia loves to sing along with the title track, it's very contagious.

These are great versions of the classic songs from the Sesame Street characters. Its great for the kids to hear their favorite characters and great for the parents to hear the songs they grew up with too.

Pete is our very favorite kid-specific performer of all time. The way he has chosen to do his records, just him and his banjo, is the most brilliant way to communicate with children. He even takes the time to explain a little about the song, where it came from, how you might be involved in it, etc. These songs will teach your child not only how to sing, what animals make what sounds, what kinds of songs there are in the world, but will teach even the youngest child how to listen. From the very first note, Olivia became intrigued by his voice and the sound coming from our car stereo. I couldn't believe that even at two years old she was listening to an album. That is why Pete is still the best children's performer &mdash he draws you in and keeps you there.

Woody has so many great songs for kids, and this is just one of the records that we love. This is mostly for the littlest ones, but I have been known to play it for both my children especially for going to sleep.... the rhythm of his words is what I like best as well as his simplicity. Woody had the best imagination when it came to making up songs for kids. He can really put himself into children's shoes. When my Dad was born, he wrote a letter from the perspective of a just-born baby. You can really imagine that that is what little Arlo was thinking. He did this a lot, not just for kid's songs. What I think is so great about this record is that, because of the person he was and the songs he wrote, people were inspired to sing. Woody was the seed for so many trees that are still growing.

I was 12 when I got a compilation with a lot of these songs on it, and I loved it. These songs are great for dancing, great for dance moves, singing along &mdash they're so infectious. The late '50s/early '60s music has such a specific "sound." You put it on the radio when you just want to have fun. You know that if you have a radio in the car, find the solid golden oldies and you'll be set for a while.

Olivia and I listen to this record a lot together. This is great collection of songs that mostly I hadn't heard before. I was so pleased to have a whole lot more songs that we could sing together as a family. Not only does it have Ella Jenkins, but it also features some of our other favorite folksingers, like Cathy and Marcy and Tom Paxton. This is a great example of how you can hear something you've never heard before and be singing along at full volume by the end of the song. That's a good folk song!

I love these guys. We've done several shows with them, and they are always fun and entertaining. They really engage the kids, and are incredibly humorous. They are great for the audience to look at - one guy incredibly tall and the other a bit small. They make for a great live show &mdash I even have a Trout Fishing in America bib for the kids (though I think it says "Sprout Fishing in America").