This Parent's Choice Gold Award CD is a great choice for quiet playtime and car rides. Despite the title suggesting a loud and crazy time, the majority of the songs on Not Naptime are soothing with a great melody. All of the songs are original and range from pop-rock to soft rock and lullabies. One song, "D-O-G" stands out as a fast-paced song, having a Mexican fiesta feeling to it. Roberts sings on all tracks with occasional back-up singers, and children included in the chorus of "Brontosaurus Got a Sweet Tooth". The primary instruments include drums and guitar, but there is also some bass, keyboard, piano, French horn, cello, trumpet, violin, and small percussion instruments in a few of the songs.

Justin Roberts' songs accurately address common issues children face including naptime, being sick, needing a nightlight, cleaning their room, dealing with a male or female bully at school, or even moving to a new house and a new school. Many of the songs are written from a child's perspective, making them more personal. The lyrics are often silly and entraining, such as, "Brontosaurs got a sweet tooth - he has a sweet tooth for me!" Others are educational and silly, such as "Nine Planets" with teaches the order of the plants from the sun and Pluto which he says is "so far away you want to put it in your pocket and save it for a rainy day...". The songs also have plenty of repeating choruses, fun sounds, and a clear beat marked with drums and soft cymbal taps.

Many of the songs have fun lyrical tricks for your little one to sing along with; "My Dad Caught Stars" has "Na-na-na-na" and "Hey hey, yeah yeah, ooooo", while "Nightlight" has backup singers helping with the "n-n-n-nightlight," and "Pick up the Pears" has humming that your child can join in on the first listen. Because the songs address common issues, your child may have a story to share based on one of the songs, or have some questions for you. If your child is too young to get some of the humor at first, rest assured that many more of the songs will make more sense once they start going to school. For instance, the "98.8" song is narrated by a kid who says he is too sick to go to school, but he'll be feeling better by 3 o'clock.

My three-year-old friend, Sam, said "Brontosaurus Got a Sweet Tooth" was his favorite song because he could dance to it. However, when I played this CD in the car on a separate day, Sam was also swaying his head and enjoying the beat to "Dad Caught Stars" before he drifted off to sleep right in his car seat.

--Audra

Roberts' music has won multiple awards and recognitions. "Not Naptime" made the list for Parents Choice 25 Best Children's CD of the Past 25 Years. His CDs have also won multiple Parents' Choice Gold Awards; "Meltdown!" in 2006, "Way Out" in 2004, "Not Naptime" in 2003, and Yellow Bus" in 2001. Sesame Street Parents Magazine also named Robert's first CD, "Yellow Bus" its "Best Music Gift of the Year."

Roberts began his career while working a second job as a Montessori preschool teacher. He started writing songs for his students and was inspired to record some of his songs, which he gave to friends and family for Christmas gifts. One of the recipients was a music producer and suggested that Roberts record the song professionally; his first CD was the result.

Roberts started travelling on the road full time in 2001, and is now a leading presence in the indie music family scene. He travels all year performing live concerts with his bandmates, called "The Not Ready for Naptime Players." Roberts has played at renowned venues like NYC's Symphony Space, CD's national Geographic Live, LA's Getty Museum, Seattle's Moore Theater, Lollapalooza, and Chicago's Ravinia. Roberts has also performed on The Today Show.

1 - Nightlight

2 - Brontosaurus Got a Sweet Tooth

3 - Nine Planets

4 - Not Naptime

5 - Billy the Bully

6 - Pick Up the Pears

7 - Moving

8 - Three Days

9 - 98.8

10 - D-O-G

11 - Dad Caught Starts

12 - Last Night The Moon Was Full