Beautifully recorded lullabies from around the world sung in the language of origin along with an illustrated bedtime story - in English, Spanish and French - about an imaginary journey to unknown lands. Performers Sylva Balassanian, Mary Fujiwara Burke, Juan Jose Carranza, Hart-Rouge, H'sao, Paul Kunigis and Nathalie Picard share their culture in offering lovely, warm lead vocals and harmonies, supported by a highly skilled group of musicians playing more the 30 different instruments. The earth-toned, dreamlike illustrations reflect both the subject and country of origin of each song.

This calming music exposes listeners to new sounds from instruments, voices, and cultures. You will hear songs from Mali, Europe, Australia, Japan, Tchad, Louisiana, Canada, Poland, South Africa, Italy, Costa Rica, Armenia, and Spain. Each song states the country or origin of the lullaby on the CD cover. The dramatic violin in the Eastern European song Chanson gitane is beautiful, while the piano, flute, and gong in Japan's Owaiyare are familiar sounds used in new ways. The constant volume and tempo fluctuations in Konda, from Tchad, create an intriguing and unique sound. The Australian song Little Fishy is bound to stand out to your little one, as it is sung in English and features the fun sound of a didgeridoo. There are many more new and interesting sounds for and your child to have fun with and learn about new music together.

The first time your child listens to this CD, he or she may just want to soak in the sounds of new languages. It may not be as easy as other children's CDs for them to jump right in and sign along, but they will certainly be able to identify the beat and hum, rock, or dance along. The more they listen to the songs, the easier it will become for your little one to imitate the sounds of the languages, singing along even if they don't know what the words mean. The Louisiana song Dodo bebe is in French, but only consists of two lines repeated throughout the song, so your child can learn to sing along with the unique contrast of the French language over an American fiddle. Your little one is bound to ask you for translations, creating a great opportunity for you to explain the information given in the book and create possible meanings based on the tempo, instruments, and accompanying pictures in the book. Children of all ages will love the polka sounds of the accordion in the Polish song, Na wojtusia z popielnika, as well as the intricate sounds of the Polish language.

My two-year-old friend, Kyle, and I listened to this CD after a nap and it proved to be a gentle way to 'wake back up'. He sat on my lap and we gently clapped our hands to the beat, while I also hummed. Kyle sat through a little more than half of the recording before he wanted to get down and play. I left the music going while he played with his blocks and noticed that when he liked a song, he would pause for a moment and look to me with a smile and a little shoulder shake to the beat.

--Audra