Not that I think kids require special music recorded especially for their demographic--my baby boy responds just as well to a scatting Ella Fitzgerald, early Stevie Wonder, and The Ramones as he does to lullabies and nursery rhymes. But he also loves my singing (the fool!), and in an attempt to expand my repertoire beyond "Old McDonald" and "The Three Little Fishies," I went in search of some children's CDs with traditional tunes and also new, simple melodies that I could perform when the fussies came a-calling.

In my research, I stumbled upon a blog, Children's Music that Rocks, written by NY Public librarian Warren Truitt, the self-described "Children's Librarian in the greatest Children's Room of the greatest library system in the greatest city in the world." Truitt reviews albums created for children, as well as the occasional grown-up release that kids also might get into. It was on his blog that I read about Elizabeth Mitchell's new CD, You Are My Little Bird (see link at right).

I ended up buying the CD, and on the whole, I enjoy listening to it. I could do without the tracks on which Mitchell's little daughter contributes to the vocals (charming and cute, to be sure, but not the most soothing listening). But Mitchell's fresh, sweet voice and takes on more contemporary tunes (Gillian Welch's "Winter's Come and Gone", Neil Young's "Little Wing") are great. Have any of the tunes made it into my sing-aloud arsenal? Oh, yes: Mitchell reminded me that Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" is perhaps the perfect little ditty to sing to a cranky baby, and I have her to thank for my son's new favorite song, the Spanish lullaby "Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks)."