The Arkansas Traveler

Various artists, $17

To mark the 75th anniversary of the original classic Little House on the Prairie, folk and bluegrass luminaries have created a soundtrack for the book—all 18 songs referenced in its pages, including a shimmery rendition of "Roll On, Silver Moon" by Judith Edelman. It's great music to honor a great book.—Ages 3 and up

Aminal House

Recess Monkey

$15

This Seattle trio knows how to get kids excited. (Maybe that's because they got summer campers to help craft these animal-themed anthems.) On this CD, catchy hooks abound, as do sing-along choruses and goofy humor. The fast pace keeps the circus atmosphere alive across all 20 tracks.—Ages 2 to 8

Educated Kid

Recess Monkey

$15

On their third CD, this San Francisco trio aim to do more than just get their listeners dancing (though the catchy tunes will certainly do just that). The album's title could double as a mission statement for these songs, which are designed to spark curiosity and stimulate young minds: "The History of Declan Rae" provides an alt-rock summary of the earth's past, from Big Bang to current day. "Cat in a Bathysphere" uses a surreal plot device to introduce interesting facts about deep-sea exploration. The Dewey decimal system even gets its musical due, as do geometry (with a new-wave flavor) and paleontology (in a sea chantey). But this is no sit-back-and-learn Schoolhouse Rock—the knowledge that powers the tunes is slyly inserted among otherwise just-for-fun lyrics. There's just enough brain tickling to make kids head for Wikipedia when the last track is over.

Electric Storyland!

The Sippy Cups

$15

This San Francisco jam band puts out a deliriously funky menu of psychedelia: The Who and Pink Floyd are influences, but so are the trippy '70s kids' shows of Sid and Marty Krofft. The overall effect is of an aural circus—the Sgt. Pepper's of kid music.—Ages 3 and up

Freedom in a Box

The Deedle Deedle Dees

$15

This isn't the first kids' band to take on American history, but it may be the hippest (not to mention the only one to refer to Alexander Hamilton as "A-Ham"). The members of the quirky-cool Brooklyn quartet—each of whom shares the stage surname of "Dee"—aren't afraid to make use of kazoos or yodeling as they rhapsodize about Harriet Tubman and Aaron Burr in song. There's even an ode to General George Meade's horse, Baldy. And when dealing with more familiar subjects, they still often steer the lyrics toward the unexpected, as in "Teddy Days," which recounts Roosevelt's transition from young nerd to action hero. Amid the delirious blur of banjos and falsettos—and the handful of just-plain-fun songs, like "Vegetarian Tyrannosaurus Rex"—serious topics like war and slavery do come to the fore, so parents of younger children may have some explaining to do.—Ages 6 and up

Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World

Morgan Taylor

$13

With an earnest sensitivity and an ear for progressive alt-rock, singer-songwriter Morgan Taylor has crafted a musical tale of a visitor from the sun, Gustafer Yellowgold, that's stunning in its innovation. Each track of this kiddie rock opera is a slice-of-life vignette of a very surreal life. The eponymous flame-headed boy lives with his industrious pet eel, Slim; a fireplace-dwelling dragon, Asparagus; and Forrest, a flightless pterodactyl. Musically, the tunes convey a Sgt. Pepper–esque dreamy quality that's far from typical kid-music fare. In subject matter, they run the emotional gamut, from the sad tale of "Mint Green Bee" to the naughty glee of "I Jump on Cake." For grown-up fans of offbeat, eclectic artists like Beck and Sufjan Stevens, this music is a nice bridge between parent and child tastes. An animated DVD (with art also by Taylor) accompanies the disc, featuring visuals that expand upon the story with extra layers of detail.—Ages 3 and up

New Orleans Christmas

Various Artists, $16

Every December, whether you like it or not, you're going to be subjected to the same Christmas carols ad nauseam. So when your kids ask for the songs of the season at home, why not treat them—and yourself—to versions that rise above and beyond the twinkly tones you hear piped through the sound system of your local shopping mall? New Orleans Christmas is the most refreshing Yuletide collection to hit CD racks in years. Classics like "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," "Silver Bells," and "White Christmas," given a twist of jazz, blues, and Dixieland, somehow sound completely new again.—All ages