CDs: Rockabye Baby! Albums (Sammy Bear Pick)

Pros: Can introduce your little one to your favorite rock band and soothe him/her to sleep at the same time. (yes, really)
Cons: None.

If you're tired of the old, standard lullabies and want to add something a bit more "contemporary" to your little one's bedtime mix, then the Rockabye Baby! CD album series might be just the thing. We received two of the Rockabye Baby! albums from a friend when SB was born: "Lullaby Renditions of U2" and "Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead." Sound intriguing? As you might guess from the titles, this album series transforms familiar rock/classical rock/punk rock/heavy metal tunes into soothing lullabies, if you can believe it. The music sources range from U2 to the Rolling Stones to Nirvana to Bjork to Led Zeppelin to Metallica. Yup, you heard me - Metallica. There's much more. Check out the selection of 24 albums here.

If you're wondering how in the world the music of Metallica could be made to be soothing and relaxing for babies, then think harps, glockenspiels, and vibraphones. It's all soothing instrumentals with a slowed up tempo. From the time he was born, I nursed or rocked SB to sleep with the calming music of "U2" playing in the background, and it became an integral part of our nighttime ritual. When I turned the music on, he seemed to know it was bedtime. It was so relaxing it often put me to sleep, as well!

I love these CDs, because I can recognize my favorite tunes and enjoy them along with SB. I'm a big U2 fan, so I tend to play that one over the Radiohead one (though don't tell my friend that or he'd be insulted). I think they'd make a great gift for any rock-loving new parent. Any AC/DC fan who just had a baby would surely want to play "Lullaby Renditions of AC/DC" for their little one. Music appreciation can never start too early!

Retail price: $16.98 on Rockabye Baby! website (available for $13.99 on Amazon.com)


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DVDs: Classical Baby: The Art Show (Sammy Bear Pick)

Pros: Colorful, entertaining visuals; provides educational value by introducing famous works of art; soundtrack is relaxing classical and jazz; good for quiet time.
Cons: Can't think of any.

SB loves loves loves this "Classical Baby" video (created by HBO). Before getting it as a gift, I wasn't a huge proponent of sitting a baby/toddler in front of a TV as a form of entertainment, but I have to say that this DVD has made me somewhat of a convert. It helps that it's an educational DVD that introduces your little one to famous artwork and great classical and jazz music. It uses bright, eye-catching animation to showcase works of art by artists like Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Pollock. SB is completely mesmerized by the visuals and is basically glued to the screen when I put this on. It's been a great way of calming him down when he is tired and fussy and could use some quiet time. (It has even allowed me to go to the bathroom in peace when SB is being especially clingy!)

The accompanying music is a mix of classical and jazz/ragtime, and it's alternately relaxing and fun to dance to. SB likes to bop to the jazz music when it comes on (I love when he does that). The featured composers include well-known greats like Bach, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, and Bizet in the classical arena and Duke Ellington and Count Basie in the jazz arena.

There are 14 segments to the DVD. Each one uses some form of animation (e.g., animated animal/bug characters, spinning shapes from modern artwork, faces from various masterpieces, etc.) to bring the art to life. For example, in the first segment, two little frogs hop into a Monet waterscape painting and start swimming around the lily pads. In another, cartoon people take you on a tour of famous modern works of art in a museum. Some of the segments use scenes/faces/aspects of various famous works of art to create engaging visuals rather than focusing on the specific paintings as a whole. How is that educational, you may ask? Well, your little one may not be getting a full-blown course on modern art, but I can tell you that SB still finds the images fun to watch, and I try to make each segment a learning tool by pointing out animals, shapes, and colors.

The other thing I like about this DVD is that, at 30 minutes, it's short enough that SB doesn't get bored and long enough for him to really relax and calm down when he's in a fussy mood. I find it to be just the right length for quiet time in the afternoon when he needs it.

I recently found out that this DVD is part of a series of "Classical Baby" DVDs. There is also "Classical Baby: The Music Show" and "Classical Baby: The Dance Show." You can buy all three as a packaged set (available through HBO.com, Amazon.com, and other sites and would make a nice gift, methinks). "The Music Show" showcases great classical composers like Bach, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, while "The Dance Show" highlights famous dance choreographers like Balanchine, Graham, and Robbins. Like "The Art Show," they use animated characters to create lively visuals. Also, HBO just recently came out with a new one called "Classical Baby: The Poetry Show." It features poetry classics by the likes of William Shakespeare, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Langston Hughes, as well as a celebrity cast including Susan Sarandon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Geoffrey Wright. I have a feeling this one might be geared toward a slightly older crowd than the other three (i.e., more for the toddler/preschooler than the baby/toddler).

Recommended Age: 6 months to 4 years

Retail Price of "Classical Baby: The Art Show": $9.97 (Can be purchased for $5.99 at Amazon.com. Available at full price at the HBO Store.)

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