It has been too long since Raffi gave us a whole album of original music for kids (2002 was the last time, with Let's Play ). But even though the Canadian kids music legend still has an incredible voice and delights listeners in concert, he's more interested in tweeting and writing than recording new music. And with a back catalog stretching back 25+ years and more than 10 albums, there's plenty of opportunity for his label to repackage his output in new ways for a new generation. (See here an example from more than 7 years ago.)
This week sees the release of Fun Food Songs, a collection of songs associated (to varying degrees) with food. Ranking high on the food association (and enjoyability) scale are Raffi classics like "Peanut Butter Sandwich" and "The Corner Grocery Store." More of a stretch for the collection (but no less enjoyable) are songs like "Down By the Bay" and "Brush Your Teeth." These songs are, for the most part, fun, in part because few of them were written or recorded with the idea of Making Food Fun.
The 15-song, 30-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 2 through 6. Because I consider a lot of Raffi's work essential, collections of previously-recorded such as these aren't. But it's a solid collection of songs from a wide range of his albums, and if you don't have any Raffi songs, or if you're looking for an instantaneous food-themed CD for a classroom or daycare setting, this'll be great. Recommended.
Note: I was provided an advance stream of the album for poss
