Mother Goose Rocks Volume 5 (by Various Artists, Children's Music)

Based on the title of MOTHER GOOSE ROCKS, you might assume this CD is a feisty combination of original rock 'n' roll mixed with nursery rhymes. Right? Well, sort of. These songs do fuse popular music with age-old children's poems, but they may not be the ones that small kids will want to hear repeatedly. Rather, the album is a clever collection of well-produced songs featuring various musicians singing and playing in the style of popular artists like U2 or Green Day. So anyone hoping for music appropriate for very young kids should note -- this music is hardly a fit for traditional Mother Goose fans. Younger grade-school kids might enjoy riding in the car and guessing which artists are being parodied.

The CD's main failing is that its musical content is too sophisticated for very young kids while its lyrics are too immature to capture the hearts of older ones. While some of these songs are very faithful imitations -- and the producers and artists should be congratulated for their faithful dedication to the sounds of the original artists -- this may not be enough to entertain small kids. If you're interested in nursery rhymes or original music for preschoolers, you'd be better off looking elsewhere.

Released on: October 11, 2005
Label: LIghtyear
Genre: Children's Music