Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell, Catch the Moon

Folk-rocker Lisa Loeb reunited with her old Brown University roommate Elizabeth Mitchell, now a member of the indie rock band Ida, to create an album of mostly traditional, kid-friendly tunes on Catch the Moon. The album is simple; a guitar and sweet, clear voices are all that's necessary to delight on classic children's favorites like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "Little Red Caboose"; Loeb and Mitchell's bluegrassy take on "Oh, Susannah" adds mandolin and banjo to the mix. The women's breathy vocals on the slow-paced "Butterfly" are as gentle as a fawn chasing butterflies in a field, and they make even a song like Bob Dylan's "New Morning" friendly to young ears.

The straightforward production means little ones who won't have to strain to understand the lyrics; it's also a fine way to introduce young ears to harmony — Loeb's and Mitchell's voices combine beautifully, especially on the Japanese folk tune "Donguri," performed as a round. Other nods to our diverse world include the Cajun classic "Fais Do Do" and the Spanish tune "La Manita."

Catch the Moon is heavy on the folkiness, but that works well for an album that introduces a toddler to a lifetime of songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."