Fiesta Mexicana: Mexican Songs and Stories for Niños and Niñas and their Papás and Mamás / Fiesta Mexicana: Mexican Songs and Stories for Ninos and Ninas and their Papas and Mamas

Albums aimed at children, or at families, can be tricky propositions. All too often they're very twee, enough to make the average adult cringe and for children to ignore them. This disc, which aims to introduce Mexican culture and music, has an especially difficult task, since it works to be bilingual, too. With a lot to overcome, Fiesta Mexicana does a superb job, covering a lot of ground over the space of two CDs, from dances to the Mexican legend of how the earth was made. Included are two different versions of "La Bamba," which do more than just play the rock & roll classic, but also illustrate its history. By having one disc in English — with some Spanish — and the other all in Spanish, the linguistic bases are well covered. All the pieces are well-connected, and together they make an interesting and entertaining introduction to Mexico.