Veteran folk musician Phil Rosenthal and family present 15 original folk lullabies in this Parent's Choice Foundation recommended and National Parent Publications Award winning album. Although all lullabies, the songs do range from upbeat rhythms to the more traditional slow and tender lullabies. Phil trades off lead vocals with his daughter in some of the songs, introducing a wonderful mixture of soothing baritone, tenor, and soprano vocals. Instruments heard include guitar, banjo, mandolin, mandola, bass, flute, piano, accordion, mandocello, flugelhorn, dobro, and percussion instruments.

Rosenthal's songs are family friendly for a variety of reasons. First, the songs lend themselves easily to humming or singing along, as the verses flow easily through rhyming couplets and the choruses repeat between each verse. You may find yourself humming along the first time you hear it. Second, it is Rosenthal's own family providing the music and vocals throughout the album. Rosenthal's daughter, Naomi, leads the vocals on Golden Slumbers, The Riddle Song, and Sleep Song/Home Song. Naomi also plays the flute on multiple songs. Phil's son, Daniel, plays the flugelhorn in some songs, while Phil's wife, Beth, provides harmonizing vocals in Folk Song Lullabies (and the reprise) and Down in the Valley, as well as lead vocals in Hush, Little Baby. Some very unique - and possibly new - sounds can be heard, such as the mandocello on The Riddle Song, the dobro in Go To Bed, and the spoons keeping the beat behind the banjo and mandolin in Lullaby Baby Blues. There are also five instrumental songs to provide great background music for rocking your little one to sleep.

Although the songs are all lullabies, they lend themselves to gentle movement with your little one, such as rocking. The beats are strong, but Phil and Naomi's voices are very soothing and beautiful. The all-instrumental song Lullaby Medley, is fun to pick out the recognizable tunes which include Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Go Tell Aunt Rhody, and Are You Sleeping. Your little one may show recognition by moving along to the beat or perking up in recognition when a tune from one of their toys or other albums appears in the song. If your child is not yet tired or ready to sleep, you can name the instruments as they are played to help them begin to associate sounds with the appropriate instrument.

I listed to this album with my one year-old friend, Mosley. He had had a full morning of playtime and outside activity, so I really needed him to take an afternoon nap. We put in Folk Song Lullabies and I held him while gently swaying and dancing to the beat. The movement helped keep him calm, and soon enough his eyes got heavy and he laid his head on my shoulder. I rocked slower and hummed quietly until I head his breath was steady, then I laid him to finish his nap while I worked on some paperwork nearby. He was sleeping like a rock until the CD ended; as soon as the last note died out, Mosley's eyes popped open and he was wide awake again. I guess music really does keep him calm!

--Audra

1.     Folk Song Lullabies - 3:02

2.     Lullaby Medley (Go Tell Aunt Rhody/Are You Sleeping?/Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) - 3:28

3.     The Riddle Song - 2:55

4.     Lullaby Baby Blues - 3:00

5.     Monhegan - 2:47

6.     Lullaby - 4:33

7.     Hush Little Baby - 1:26

8.     Mandolin Dreams - 3:22

9.     Golden Slumbers - 3:23

10.  Go To Bed - 4:02

11.  Evening Song - 3:17

12.  Sleep Song/Home Song - 3:46

13.  Down in the Valley - 4:22

14.  Over the Waterfall - 4:18

15.  Folk Song Lullabies (reprise) - 1:31