The Ballad of Phineas McBoof

Doctor Noize

$15

The title character is a simian rock superstar who flees his life of fame to seek his musical roots. His journey of self-discovery is told in a clever combination of acted dialogue and genre-spanning music—everything from rollicking ska beats to jazz kazoo.—Ages 4 and up

Crazy Hair Day

Barney Saltzberg

$15

This author-illustrator shows his diverse skills in a soundtrack of sorts for his 2003 picture book. And he's attracted quite an ensemble to perform these snappy folk-rock tunes, including Jackson Browne and Vonda Shepard. On the final track, Dustin Hoffman provides an exuberant reading of the original story. (All royalties go to a cancer-research charity.)—Ages 3 and up

Everybody Plays Air Guitar

Joe McDermott

$15

McDermott delivers on the title track's promise, thanks to his jaunty vocals, which suit the footloose tone of songs like "Our Family Car Is a Helicopter." If the roaring live audience on "Ride, Ride, Ride" is any indication, your kids will have a great time.—Ages 2 to 6

Fins and Grins

Johnette Downing

$16

Downing, best known for her Cajun crooning, here marries the genre to a hit kid theme: ocean life. She dips a toe in both rock and country, but her New Orleans roots shine through on the bluesy "Amphibians" and a zydeco ode to crawfish, "L'ecrevisse."—Ages 2 to 7

Five Cent Piece

Randy Kaplan

$15

This old-fashioned acoustic storyteller's years of performing live for preschoolers have helped him nail down his subject matter (stubborn mosquitoes, bathtub-invading sharks). He also does well-chosen covers: Why has it taken so long for someone to turn "You Can't Always Get What You Want" into a toddler anthem?—Ages 2 to 6

Grace's Bell

Ben Rudnick & Friends

$15

This extravaganza of an album largely eschews kiddie message music. Instead, it favors Dixieland-tinged toe-tappers, from an up-tempo mash-up of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World" to a southern-fried "Hava Nagila."—Ages 3 and up

I Like Being Me!

Lanny Sherwin

$13

Sherwin's lyrics seem ripped from the interior monologue of a 5-year-old. When he reveals, in the sway-worthy "I Need to Be Alone," that his 200-piece Lego tower has collapsed, kids get it, just as they giddily do in track 9 because "Dad Said a Bad Word."—Ages 3 and up

Peter and the Wolf

London Philharmonic Orchestra

$13

The Magic Maestro label specializes in narrated symphonies based on kids' stories like "Casey at the Bat." Here, finally, is the genre's quintessence—Prokofiev's masterpiece—and it's appropriately grand and sweeping.—Ages 3 and up

Play!

Milkshake

$15

Their colorful, energetic videos have been featured on Noggin's Jack's Big Music Show and Discovery Kids's ToddWorld. Their effervescent, crowd-pleasing live act graced the main stage of 2006's Jamarama Live tour. Now, on their third studio CD, Lisa Mathews and Mikel Gehl, together known as Milkshake, punch out 15 more "I dare you to stay unhappy" songs. The indie-rock-tinged tunes hit all the classic kid-music talking points (song titles include "Imagination Nation," "Pirates," and "Okay to Be Different"), but the band has a ball performing them, and the fun they're having is infectious. If anything, the near overdose of earnest bliss may leave more cynical parents waiting for an over-the-kids'-heads wink of irony that never comes. But Mathews and Gehl, both parents, know that good music doesn't require anything more than a catchy hook and an inviting chorus. To appeal to their audience, they don't dumb down the music—they just play it straight. The results are entirely enjoyable.—Ages 2 to 8

Plays Well with Others

Uncle Rock

$10

Don't be scared off by Robert Burke Warren's stage name: He's more "uncle" than "rock." In this mostly acoustic song set, the former actor sanitizes some psychedelia (The Who's "Magic Bus," Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride") and covers "Pure Imagination" from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The bulk of the album, though, is original tunes, ranging from tender ballads ("Connected") to folksy sing-alongs ("Playin' Possum"). Then, of course, there are freewheeling, fun tracks like "Sugar Talkin'" and "Rock & Roll Babysitter," which leave no doubt as to the origin of Warren's nom de guitar.—Ages 2 and up

Rock the House

Ernie & Neal

$15

The album title says it all. Though this duo jangle their way through ska and bluegrass, most of the songs fall into the classic-rock arena. It's time you got your kids playing air guitar, and this is just the CD to do it.—Ages 2 and up

Tummy Talk

Mr. Richard

$16

Richard Peeples has a gruff singing voice that suggests he is more cartoon character than human, but that's just part of his charm. On his second CD, he lathers his native Louisiana groove and gumption onto songs about dancing skunks and stolen toes.—Ages 2 to 6

When I Get Little

Dog on Fleas

$15

What's most shocking about this talented quintet is not how adeptly they surf from one genre to another (one minute you're kicking up your heels at a hootenanny; the next you're toe-tapping on a Mississippi riverboat or swing-dancing at a Jazz Age supper club). Instead, it's the fact that When I Get Little is this group's fourth CD: After rollicking along to the call-and-response eco-anthem "Trees," or the ska-tinged Humpty Dumpty tale "What's Behind the Wall," you'll surely question why you haven't heard of them before. In this golden age of children's music, Dog on Fleas deserves to finally emerge from under the radar.—Ages 2 and up

Under the
Mystic Sea

Maria Sangiolo, $15

Maria Sangiolo's happy-go-lucky brand of folk-rock is put to good use on this musical paean to marine life, both real (dolphins, sharks, penguins) and fantastical (mermaids). Sprinkling mandolins, dobros, tin whistles, and toy pianos among the standard guitar and drums, she invokes a fun-filled undersea world that will resonate well with little ones looking to sing along. And while she's got their attention, she manages to throw a little global-warming awareness into the mix with "It's Too Hot!"—Ages 3 and up

You Are My Little Bird

Elizabeth Mitchell

$12

It might seem odd to use the term tour de force in reference to a children's folk recording, but that's the description that comes to mind when you listen to Elizabeth Mitchell's paragon of the genre. The songs aren't new (you'll hear covers of staples by the likes of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, as well as more unexpected artists such as Bob Marley and the Velvet Underground), but Mitchell's expert vocal performance—her voice rolls, when called for, from a crisp vibrance to a gentle airiness—makes each one seem as if it has been written for her. Whether she's singing in English, Spanish, Japanese, or Korean, she embodies the spirit of folk music. Guthrie and Seeger would be proud.—All ages

Wonderstuff

Recess Monkey,
(Monkey Mama, $20)

In an incredibly ambitious undertaking, Seattle trio Recess Monkey has churned out a 2-disc rock opera about who save nature from an evil force called The Gray. And they have more than succeeded. While always remaining accessible to kids (the band writes with the help of music camp students), their music is undeniably hip. Parents won't need to rush off and listen to a Keane or Pavement album to cleanse their musical palette afterwards.—Ages 2 to 9

The Dragonfly Races

Ellis Paul
(Black Wolf Records, $15)

Ellis Paul has the ideal voice for a singing storyteller, very Harry Chapin–esque, with the ability to imbue every lyric with soul and meaning. And he puts his natural abilities to excellent use in both sweet, rolling lullabies and guitar-plunky up-tempo numbers. He even manages to translate a good old-fashioned protest song into kidspeak with "The Million Chameleon March."—Ages 2 to 9