Sillytime Magic

The artwork for Sillytime Magic features vocalist Joanie Bartels in a funny hat and goofy pose — it's just the right image for an album that encourages kids (and their parents) to be as silly as possible. After all, who can't laugh at a funny hat? Throughout Sillytime, Bartels proves why Discovery Music's series has become so popular. Her bright, smiling soprano leads bouncy arrangements that feature horns, clattering percussion, banjo, and piano in addition to the easy-to-follow synthesizer sound typical of most children's music. But while it does lean on processed backing tracks a bit, the album is consistently creative and unique, never resorting to paint-by-numbers arrangements. The classic rhyming song "The Name Game" gets a lively workout, as do traditionals "This Old Man" and "Do Your Ears Hang Low." "Sillie Pie" brings in some Dixieland-style horns, while Bartels effortlessly switches to light jazz for "Swinging on a Star." Sillytime Magic is ideal for children ages two to six, and perfect for parents who are tired of children's music that does only what's necessary. Funny hats not included.