I’ve been listening to children’s music ever since my children were little and my son turns thirty this week! Back then, we loved Raffi, Disney songs and Pete Seeger. Children’s music has come a very long way in recent years. I know because now I listen to music with my granddaughters and the children in story times at the library. I also purchase the children’s music CD’s for the library. It’s important to know which artists can pass both the kid’s and adult’s quality tests. By this I mean that young children will listen to the latest Disney songs (FROZEN) for ever, but you may not want that in your home or life. Here are some artists which I listen to alone. By myself. Willingly.

My absolute favorite children’s recording artist is the fabulous Elizabeth Mitchell. Her compact disc You Are My Little Bird is so wonderful that you can just leave it in your CD player because it is primarily acoustic and purposefully low-key, which allows the melodies of her songs to shine through. Mitchell’s singing is elegant, unforced, and a thoroughly natural pleasure to listen to.

Elizabeth Mitchell has been lending her lovely voice to folk-leaning indie rock for years, and in recent years she’s been displaying the same intelligence and playful joie de vivre on a handful of recordings for children. Her album Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie collects recordings of Mitchell’s interpretations of the legendary folksinger’s songs.  What a pleasure!

Nancy Stewart is a children’s singer-songwriter based in Seattle and be sure to check out her fabulous website. This website is dedicated to providing FREE songs, resources and information for teachers, parents, librarians, and home schooling families. You can download her music onto a CD or just click and play. I get so many wonderful tunes from Nancy and you could too.

I asked my fellow children’s librarians who their favorite musicians are and one loves the Laurie Berkner Band. I do too!  It doesn’t get much better than the Best of the Laurie Berkner Band which features twenty tracks taken from her first five albums. It’s bouncy and fun. The production and performances are top notch which makes it music for all ages.

Jim Gill is the favorite children’s music artist for two of our librarians. He is a nationally acclaimed author and musician who has received five separate awards from the American Library Association. Studies have shown that there are many connections between music, play and literacy. This is wonderfully playful music for the little ones in your life.

Some of my favorite CD’s are from Putumayo Kids. This world music label is dedicated to providing high-quality music played by traditional and contemporary artists. You must listen to Hawaiian Playground if you’re making a trip to the islands or just want to pretend by listening to the song “Come to Hawaii”. Just try to get the tune of the “Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai” out of your head.

Likewise, check out Cowboy Playground if you’re driving to Idaho or Montana or any other horsey place out west. You’ll love singing along with “Back in the Saddle Again”, “Don’t Fence Me In” and “Happy Trails.”  It was perfect for my cowboy storytime.

And who can resist Reggae Playground? This is an outstanding album for children and moreover an entirely enjoyable album for adults also. There are excellent performances all through this upbeat offering which does not dumb-down music for children. Everett Public Library has no less than 28 Putumayo Kids CD’s, so there’s sure to be one to your liking in the bunch.

Caspar Babypants has a new CD of Beatles music for children and it’s marvelous!  He’s also coming to the Main Branch of the Everett Public Library on Wednesday, December 10th at 10:30 AM. Be sure to come to the auditorium to hear this acclaimed local children’s musician and author present his signature mix of catchy lyrics and bouncy beats. Families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will especially enjoy this performance. After the show, be sure to take home some of these fabulous children’s music CD’s. Rock on!