The Parent's Choice Honors album, The Paw Paw Patch presents traditional children's songs with a folksy feel. Rosenthal leads the vocals, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass on most songs, with his young daughter joining in vocals on select songs. Guest musicians fill in with harmonizing vocals and the fiddle.

Phil Rosenthal has mastered the art of singing traditional children's songs with a pleasantly simple folk and bluegrass feel. The childlike essence of the songs is not lost, as they keep the direct rhyming and repetition that helps children learn quickly and be able to participate However, the music is detailed and mature enough to be fully entertaining to adults as well. Naomi, Rosenthal's young daughter, adds her beautiful little voice to five songs, sometimes harmonizing and other times leading the tune. Each of the string instruments are featured throughout the CD, introducing your little one to the different sounds and pitches of folk music. "High Hop Ladies" is a particularly fun song, with its happy-go-lucky staccato notes, featuring the banjo and mandolin specifically.

Other sound effects, you'll have to help create yourself, like in the "Horsey, Horsey" song, when listeners can "clickity clop", "swish" the tail, and yell "Giddey-up!" Your child can also have fun singing "quack, quack, quack" with Rosenthal and Naomi in the song, "Six Little Ducks". The silly lyrics of "Looby Loo" may sound familiar to parents, as this was the original 'Hokey Pokey'. Go ahead and help your little one dance along and, "Put your right foot in, put your right foot out, give your foot a shake, shake, shake, and turn yourself about." The alliteration of "Paw Paw Patch" and silly lyrics of "Polly Wolly Doodle" are just plain fun to say, so go ahead and sing along and your child will not be far behind.

My two-year-old friend, Kyle, loved the "I'm a Little Teapot" song, since his mom has been 'working with him' on it and he knew most of the motions. We listened to it several times in a row and performed the teapot actions together. He was so excited the first time he got the whole story right! He also loved "Horsey, Horsey" and grabbed a broom to 'gallop' throughout the song.

--Audra