Review and Giveaway! - Pop Fly! by Justin Roberts

Before we had Nadia, my husband and I vowed that we wouldn't listen to kids' music. We would just start off Nadia's life by letting her listen to our music and she would never know the difference. When she was really small, she didn't really seem to mind or even notice. Then, we started taking a Wiggleworms music class through the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, and I realized that 1) Nadia really loves music and 2) She prefers songs with lyrics she can relate to. I bought her a CD with different "folk" songs being sung by the teachers at the Old Town School. She LOVED it, and I realized that it was going to be the first of many children's CDs in our future. Our adapted philosophy is that we try to find music that appeals to Nadia while not being completely annoying to us. It's a plan that is working pretty well overall. Since we pick out the majority of her music, it's actually a pretty easy strategy. Now the only problem is that we get stuck listening to the same music over and over and over and over...

We've been listening to the Justin Roberts Pop Fly! album for a couple of weeks now, and I really think it's one of the best kids' albums I've ever heard. Joe and I both have a pretty eclectic taste in music. We're not the types to say that they absolutely won't listen to any particular genre, we're kind of all over the place in our taste. Justin Roberts' Pop Fly! album definitely appeals to music listeners like us. There is no defining Justin Roberts style. Each song has a little different feel which makes listening to the album so interesting. Some of the lyrics go right over Nadia's head considering the fact that she's only 2, but she doesn't seem to mind, and I appreciate the sometimes "laugh out loud" funny lyrics. As with everything she does, she listens closely until she hears a word or two that she can relate to and that's all it takes to hold her interest. For example, on the song Yellow Reflector, she has discovered that the traffic crossing guard performs the same job as Henry Huggins in Ramona the Pest. I don't know exactly what her little mind pictures, but she's made the connection. My favorite song on the album is Henrietta's Hair. I was just listening to a clip of the song, and it was almost enough to make me want to go out to the car to get the whole version. Yes, it is really that catchy, but not in an annoying get-stuck-in-your-head-all-day kind of way. The other song that makes me smile everytime is Stay-at-Home Dad. The line about the clothes not matching, but the kid not caring rings so true.

I'll admit, I've heard a lot about Justin Roberts over the last couple years, but this is the first time we've ever truly experienced his music. We've definitely been missing out. Right now, it's the album in our CD player in the car, and I'm not lying when I say that it's one album that I don't mind listening to over and over and over...

Some quick stats and my overall rating:

Ages: It's marketing as being for kids from ages 3-8, but I'm much older than 8 and I still enjoy it! Nadia is only 2, and she is singing along now, too.

Price: $13.99 on Amazon, BUT if you go directly to Justin Roberts' site, you can get it for 20% off as part of his back-to-school special. I don't know how long this will last, but you might want to hurry over before the end of today, just in case.

Overall Rating **** - Yep, 4 stars! I love this album. It might possibly rank even higher than my all time favorite Wee Hairy Beasties album. If not, it's a VERY close second!

Kid Buy Products is giving away two copies of Justin Roberts' Pop Fly album! If you would like to enter our giveaway, leave us a comment with your favorite Justin Roberts' album or your favorite Justin Roberts' song. Not familiar with Justin Roberts? That's OK, just let us know which album your kids insist upon listening to everytime you head out in the car. All entries will must be received by midnight on Monday, October 6th. We will choose two winners using random.org. Please feel free to leave your email with your post, but know that we will also submit our winners to Prizey.Fetch. You must be 18 or older to enter, but this giveaway is open to residents of both the U.S. and Canada. Thanks for reading and Good Luck!