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No! (by They Might Be Giants, Children's Music)

common sense media says

Both educational music and magical mystery tour.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that although these songs entertain children as young as a year, some teens also enjoy both the music and controlling the animation on tracks like "Clap Your Hands" and "The Edison Museum."

Positive messages: Although it's all in fun, occasional misbehavior goes uncorrected. The animations to "I Am A Grocery Bag" urge viewers to play with their food and spill it (and with a click of the mouse they can do so.)
Violence: There are no violent images, but sensitive children may be disturbed by descriptions in "The Edison Museum" ("Its haunted towers rise into the clouds above it/ ?Ghosts float up the stares like silent moving pictures").
Sex: There are no sexual references.
Language: The language is clean. Songs like "Fibber Island" ("wheels are square not round") may puzzle or delight youngsters, depending on their taste for nonsense.
Consumerism: There are no references to brand names.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: There are no references to drugs or alcohol, but the band's depiction of the everyday in songs like "I Am A Grocery Bag" may strike some as surreal.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on No!

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how different age groups can get different things out of this music.

What's the story?

What's the story?
Slide NO! into your computer and prepare to be amazed by They Might Be Giants' zany creativity. Brilliantly colored images dot the screen, dancing or exploding at the click of a mouse and illustrating nonsense lyrics reminiscent of Edward Lear. To the beat of folky rock guitar, keyboards, drum, and bass, budding readers can sing along and see the words at the same time. "I Am Not Your Broom" involves a conversation between John and his broom, in which the broom declares, "I'm throwing off my chains of servitude." "Wake Up Call" consists of nothing but the syllables bo, do, ba, and baw, but on their computers, kids can set animated clocks to the time signaled by dancing roosters.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Is this educational children's music or a magical mystery tour? They Might Be Giants have given us a combination in this album, and most of the time it works. Adults who are not already TMBG fans may be won over; others may find the songs too pointless or even mildly subversive. But children delight in them, and older siblings get a kick out of the animations set to music, too.

Music themes & details

Music Details
Released on: June 11, 2002
Label: Rounder
Genre: Children's Music
This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg
 
 

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What parents & educators say

2

Most useful reviews by all members

orangeROX
kid, 12 years old
2
 
great music!!!
Its funny and for all ages!
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chrysophylax
parent of 2 year old
2
 
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Forknose
adult
 
They are great
TMBG are a great band. You can't tell if they are singing adult music or infant music. Like the Beatles, they can appeal to anyone with an open mind for good music.
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planetpj
adult
 
We love TMBG
I've been a TMBG fan for a long time, so I was very pleased to find out they now make music for kids. I was hesitant when I bought "Here come the ABC's". My 4 yr old son has been such a big fan of elmo, I didn't think he would make the switch. Now all we listen to every day is TMBG. He loved it so much I bought "No!". He loves this one too! I especially like their use of vocabulary that doesn't talk down to kids. I often find myself listening to this CD long after I've dropped my son off at pre-school.
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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines