Imagine That!

 

Imagine That! The Sesame Street Music of Joe Raposo & Jeff Moss. Performed by Rena Strober. CD. Approx. 39 min. Rena Strober. 2020. CD: $14.99 ; Digital: $9.99. Pre-school – Gr 3, and their parents

Award-winning actress, singer and advocate for the blind Rena Strober wanted to introduce a selection of Sesame Street songs that exemplify human kindness to a new generation of children. With her special guests, Jason Alexander, French Stewart, Michael-Leon Wooley, Deborah Grausman, and opera singer Cristina Jones, she accomplishes this goal. A small band of excellent musicians perform on piano, synth, guitars—acoustic and electric, drums, percussion , bass, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, musical saw, washboard, banjo, and tuba. A special children’s choir, DOTZ, is made up of children who are blind. Strober’s clear and light vocals soar in these pop and jazz songs with a Broadway show flair. The album opens with an invitation for “Somebody [to] Come and Play.” Next, listeners are encouraged to “Sing” out loud, out strong, and of things happy not sad; this songs includes some lyrics in Spanish. The narrator wants to “Imagine That” she is a knight fighting a dragon, then on to other adventures. Sesame Street fans will remember that it’s not easy “Being Green.” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in “I’m Pretty/I’m an Aardvark.” Even though “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” I would like to visit and look down at the Earth. “What Makes Music” may be things as diverse as a flat tire’s hiss, a slurpy kiss, or a string you plink. “Candy Hearts & Paper Flowers” will always keep me close to you. My “Imagination” is right in the middle of my head. If you “Believe in Yourself,” you can be what your want to be, learn what you want to learn, and try what you need to try. A smile, laughter, a hug and a kiss is what it takes “To Love a Child.” “High Middle Low” showcases soprano, alto, and bass voices separately, then together in harmony. And “One Small Voice” can teach the world a song. “What Is Braille” is a spoken explanation of Braille—using one’s fingers to see. This outstanding album will give parents or grandparents who grew up with Sesame Street to share their favorite songs with their children and grandchildren.

Website: https://www.renastrober.com/

Invincible!

 

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• Invincible! Performed by Roger Day. CD. Approx. 32 min. Roger Day Productions. 2020. CD: $10.00.  K-- Gr 3

• • Multiple-award winning Day performs 10 encouraging and uplifting original rock songs, accompanied by guitar,  bass, keys, drums and percussion. Books fire up the imagination and help one do anything at all in “Invincible.” Imagination, not masks or capes, is the key to being “No Ordinary Super Hero.” Robots are cool and smart, so “Get a Robot First.” One child uses duct tape and rubber bands to make a jet-pack in “Me and My Jetpack.” A child tells his mom that “I’ll Be Your Super Hero,” but she wants him to clean his room. When a superhero flies around, all the people look like “Little Ants” crawling on the ground. Life is full of problems, but “Solve the Problem, Save the Day,” and you will find it’s full of answers, too. When one investigates like a scientist, one can see the “Big Picture.” Police officers, bus drivers, nurses, teachers, and cooks shine in “The Everyday Hero Song.” A child may not be able to jump over tall buildings or flick spider webs from their wrists, but they can be superheroes and claim that “Love Is My Super Power.” These musically and lyrically appealing songs will encourage children to be the best they can be.

    Website: https://www.rogerday.com/
    

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