Five Children’s Albums You MUST Own!

We listen to music ALL day at home and over the years have heard the good, the bad and the just plain irritating when it comes to children’s albums. There are a lot of fish in the sea of children’s music.

But here are five children’s albums you are going to want to catch and never release.

1} Facinating  Creatures, by Frances England

This album is beyond cute and captures childhood perfectly. It’s mellow and has songs that talk about the love between father’s and children, which is far too rare on children’s albums in my opinion. This is the perfect “wind down” album or “quiet time” background music. Get this album and instantly feel relaxed.

2} I Eat Kids and other Songs for Rebellious  Children, by Barry Louis Polisar

This should actually say ANYTHING by Barry Louis Polisar. Polisar might best be known for having several of his songs on the Juno soundtrack, most notably, “All I Want Is You”.The songs on this album are a bit rowdy but lyrically are hilarious and with Polisar’s unique vocalizations of those incredible lyrics, it’s a can’t miss to be sure!

3} You are My Little Bird, by Elisabeth Mitchell

This was the first “childrens” album I had purchased when my daughter was born simply because of the cover art of the album. Magically, I was right! The simplicity of the cover art matched the simplicity and ease of the music on the album. This, like, Fascinating Creatures, offers a mellow and relaxing atmosphere for any chaotic car ride or day.

4} Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack, by Karen O and the Kids

If you have seen the film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s  classic book, then you know that Max’s journey to the land of The Wild Things is both exciting and melancholy. This includes your journey through the soundtrack as well. The upbeat is intertwined with the slow and contemplative perfectly and proves that childhood is more complex than perhaps we all remember.

5} A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, by Harry Nilsson

Okay, so it’s the witching hour and by this I mean, that hour where at least one member of your family is screaming, one is eating random things off the carpet and one is leaping full bore off the couch in his or her underwear… okay, those might have all been me. But the point is that something is needed to calm the savage end of day beast and this album is it. Harry Nilsson singing standards, it doesn’t get much better than that. His version of  “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is wonderful and each track is perfectly blended into the next with call backs to other songs to bridge the gaps. Bliss.

So there you have it, five albums that might just change the shape off your week, hopefully for the better. Also always remember that kids love music and will latch off to anything that you are BOTH enjoying together. So it doesn’t have to have a cartoon character or bubble lettering on the album art for them to love it. If they see you rocking out it, chances are they’ll want to join you.