| Top Artists for Toddlers Feb 22nd 2012, 11:07 | Songs for children under four should include clearly enunciated words, easy to memorize lyrics, and fun tunes. Here are some of the best performers of music for the toddler crowd, and a highly recommended CD by each artist. 
Courtesy Smithsonian FolkwaysSeeger’s friendly voice and ringing banjo accompany these folk songs, singalongs, nursery rhymes, and hand plays about all creatures great and small. Originally issued on two Folkways LPs in 1955, the 28 songs on this CD will keep your little ones endlessly entertained. 
Courtesy Smithsonian FolkwaysJenkins is the master of call-and-response songs, as evidenced on You’ll Sing a Song, originally released on the Folkways label in 1966. Classic tunes include the title song, “Miss Mary Mack,†“Dulce Dulce,†and “Did You Feed My Cow?â€, featuring Jenkins’ ukulele and occasional harmonica, and the Gateway Children’s Chorus. This CD is so good, it’s Folkways’ best-selling record ever! 
Courtesy Bob McGrath ProductionsMcGrath is a well-known veteran of Sesame Street, and his experience working with young children shows on both of his Sing Along CDs. McGrath presents spirited versions of over 60 of the best-known children’s tunes, including “You Are My Sunshine,†“Three Blind Mice,†and “London Bridge." 
Courtesy Josh LevineManhattan musician Levine accompanies the songs on his children’s debut with a Venezuelan quatro (a four-stringed guitar) and his standup bass. Originals like “A Real Bouquet†are beautifully entertaining, and oldies such as “The Alphabet Song,†“Cumpleanos Feliz,†and “The Hokey Pokey†are given some Latino spice, guaranteed to keep your little ones dancing. 
Courtesy Smithsonian FolkwaysProbably the most low-key CD on the list, Songs was originally released in 1956 on the Folkways label. The album features Guthrie playing guitar and singing 18 of his original compositions, sometimes without any musical accompaniment at all. Many children’s artists have covered several of these simple songs, including “Grassy Grass Grass,†“Little Sack of Sugar,†“Who’s My Pretty Baby,†and “Bling Blang." 
Courtesy Jim GillGill is great at disguising movement songs as Broadway tunes, singalongs, and skits, and Moving Rhymes is a perfect example. This banjo-playing educator from Oak Park, Illinois, performs tunes like “Face the Facts,†“Tromboning,†“Jump Up, Turn Around,†and “Drumming the House†with his top-notch band that will keep the kids in motion. 
Courtesy Smithsonian FolkwaysMitchell’s third CD of folk tunes and cover songs helps to continue her rise to the top of the current children’s music ladder of success. She draws from sources as varied as Woody Guthrie, the Velvet Underground, Chinese folk songs, and Bob Marley. Her quiet style and interesting instrumentation make these songs both memorable and easy to sing along with. 
Courtesy Enzo GarciaGarcia’s long-running children’s music program in San Francisco has produced several CDs worth of great tunes, but one of the best has to be Pink. Garcia’s renditions of folk tunes, singalongs, and originals are flavored by accordion and banjo, with his own “Hold My Hand†being a definite must-hear. 
Courtesy Smithsonian FolkwaysHinton’s classic was released by Folkways in 1964, and is just as refreshing today as it was then. Hinton has lots of fun with words, and your little ones will be tickled trying to keep up with or appreciating the humor of folk songs like “The Green Grass Growing All Around,†“Michael Finnegan,†and “Jolly Old Roger." 
Courtesy Johnny BregarSeattle native Bregar’s bluesy, rootsy, sometimes New Orleans-like style flavors tried and true singalongs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes such as “Waltzing Matilda,†“If You’re Happy and You Know It,†and “Polly Wolly Doodle.†He and his band definitely intend to keep the crowd moving and singing. 
Courtesy Raffi CavoukianMany people swear by this album, while many swear at it. But when it comes down to it, Raffi’s 32-year-old debut is perfect for singalongs. His simple arrangements and performances make chestnuts like “Down by the Bay,†“The More We Get Together,†“I Wonder if I’m Growing,†and “Brush Your Teeth†as fresh today as they were in the mid-1970s.  | |
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