There is educational value in every song on this album, making it an excellent tool for parents and grandparents hoping to encourage creative curiosity in their little ones. Listeners will learn the difference between fruits and vegetables in the title track Plant a Little Seed; some different types of cows and how to identify them in Cows Are Cool; about a new profession in I’m a Paleontologist; the difference between a carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore in I’m a Carnivore , and so much more! The songs are also presented in a simple-but-fun manner. For instance, When Ducks Get Up in the Morning and Dem Bones have no instruments - just clapping, while the latter also includes animals sounds. My Aunt Came Back is a call-and-response song, and Stars Shine Bright consists of just one short verse that repeats four times, changing only the color in each verse.
The CD notes suggest activities for each of the songs to help make them more interactive for young listeners. For example, for Fruit Song listeners slap their thighs in rhythm while singing. For the younger children, you can also point to pictures of these fruits (or the real thing) while each fruit is named. In Lots of Cars, listeners put their hands in front of them and imagine driving the car and pointing out imaginary cars that match the descriptions being sung about. You can also sing this while actually driving and have your little one point out the smallest and biggest cars that they see, as well as cars of each color. In Dinosaurs in Cars children step forward when the song says "Step on the gas" or sink down in a crouch position when the air leaves the tire, "Whoosh." It’s a fun way to get a little exercise while learning the song. I Am a Camel explains how camels walk with both right legs, then both left legs at the same time (where horses lift one foot at a time), which is why camels rock as they walk. Children can have fun trying to imitate this by moving their arm with the same foot forward at the same time. Get ready for some laughs!
My four year-old niece, Emily loves the Cows Are Cool song. She has the lyrics memorized and likes to impress people at random about her knowledge of cows. She informed a family friend recently that, “Cows are cool, cows are neat, cows have tails and hooves on their feet,” which is a line from the song. The family friend laughed, which only encouraged Emily who continued to explain that Holsteins, Jerseys, and Guernsey are all great milking cows. Our family friend was impressed and Emily was very proud of her cow knowledge.
--Audra