Songs in Spanish for Children

I purchased this CD for my grandson so that he could learn Spanish since his father was born in Cuba. The baby, at only five or six months of age, responded very positively to the lively songs on this CD. I must admit that I, too, have enjoyed them and keep the CD in my car to cheer me up on long commutes. A friend, who taught Spanish to elementary school children, liked the CD so much, she will be ordering one. There were a number of songs on it that she taught to her classes. It's a very joyful group of songs that catch the child's attention.

An important note: This CD was originally released in 1962. I think that is an asset. It has 14 songs; some new, some traditional and all but one (Diez Niñitos/10 Little Indians)originally written in Spanish. Because it was recorded in the early 60's the music and lyrics are simple, basic and not overdone or too busy for young ears. The singers, both adult and children, speak clearly. It was just what my baby (7 mo.) and I wanted to hear to reinforce her Spanish language acquisition. So many others use translated songs that are great in English but rarely work as well in Spanish. Cri-Cri is nice but not really a sing-along, more of a story telling since there's no chorus and nothing ever repeats. This CD gives us a welcome change from our José Luis Orozco and you can't beat the price.

I bought this and 3 other CD's in Spanish for my daughter, who is not latina and has not had any true exposure to Spanish. She absolutely adores this CD more than the others and insists that I play it in the car ALL THE TIME. Since I studied Spanish and got my MA from the Univ. of Puerto Rico, I don't mind one bit! :-) I also love how much the marimba and mallet percussion is used. There is a great blend of fast and slow paced music.