Roberts has an uncanny ability to create songs that relate directly to children, appealing to their creativity, humor, curiosity and general interests. Apple Tree is a fun metaphor for the eagerness children so often display toward growing up big and strong; the apple tree is just a seed, but cannot wait to grow "way up to the sun and open my arms for everyone." Smart Parts takes a creative approach to explaining the divisions of the brain, it says there are seven parts (for the things children regularly deal with); the picture part, the number parts, the word part, the body part, the music part, the self part, and the people part. Altogether, they are the smart parts; "Smart parts big hearts life's smart parts." Everything Else Starts with e is a very clever alphabet song, with word associations for each letter that really divert from the traditional 'a is for apple and b is for baby', and add lots of humor. Do You Wanna Go mimics the craziness children display when thoroughly excited about something through loud volume, very fast tempo, and repeating question, "Do you want to go?" so quickly you can barely make it out! Thankfully, Roberts also slows the pace down periodically to give your little one a breathing break. The relaxed beat of Kitty Kat, Kittle Kat is sure to slow your child's heartbeat, without slowing the creativity, as it describes a cat that plans to swim in the deep blue sea with his friends, the cow and pig. The CD ends with a tender ballad called Goodnight, featuring a softly strumming guitar, bass, and violin
Roberts engages listeners and gets them involved in the music right away. If You Got 1 begins with Roberts singing the verse a capella, almost as if he's explaining the 'dance' to his little listeners, "If you got 1, then you tap your thumb. If you've got 2, tap your shoe..." Once he reaches 5, Roberts starts the verse again, and this time the instruments join in - that's your queue to join in too! You may want to help your little one get started, but they will get the hang of it soon, and be doing the jive without a hitch. All of Roberts songs contain enough rhyming and repetition to make singing along fun and easy to do. The title track, Great Big Sun, in particular, offers a steady beat and plenty of direct rhyming creating a clear cadence and encouraging singing along. a, B, C, D, e repeats the alphabet to a whole new beat, which has a ska-sounding element to it because of the inclusion of brass. Bouncing Baby plays on alliteration, "Bouncin' baby bought a bag a blue jeans," and also includes many funny sounding 'words' like "bee bop a bwee da bop a deed a" to sing along with. Old Pajamas offers the same type of repetition you are probably already quite familiar with coming from your little one, with lyrics like, "Mom, oh Mom, oh Mom, oh Mom" or "Hey Mama, hey Mama, hey Mama." The song also pokes fun at a child's tendency to want what they don't have; after the singer has said he wants new pajamas multiple times, and finally gets them, he sings, "the new ones are pretty neat, but the old one's are oh so sweet, they got a hole right in the seat, I like my old pajamas."
My four-year-old niece, Emily, is a huge Justin Roberts' fan, having most of his CDs scattered throughout the house and car. Her favorite song on this album is Bouncin' Baby because she invented a game to go along with it. She crawls into my lap (or the lap of any other adult nearby) in an excited frenzy and begs you to bounce your knees, giving her a wild ride while she belts out the song.
--Audra