This column is music
to your ears!

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. This column is dedicated to all the parents who have recently e-mailed asking for music ideas for their kids.
STEVESONGS
Steve Roslonek, creator and namesake for SteveSongs, will perform at the World Cafe Live, located at 3025 Walnut St., on Saturday, Sept. 29. The concert is part of the popular Peanut Butter & Jams series.
I read that Steve gave up his job as a business consultant in the late 1990s to pursue his love of music and passion for teaching children. He’s been touring the country and developing a vast repertoire of family-friendly tunes that he has recorded over five albums.
Steve’s newest CD, Marvelous Day!, is a collection of 16 tunes for parents and children that invite sing-along participation for the whole family. The CD also blends a sophisticated mix of instruments, thanks to longtime SteveSongs bandmates Anand Nayak (Daisy Mayhem Band) and Matt Steckler (Dead Cat Bounce).
Children helped write three of the original songs on Marvelous Day! Water Cycle was created with a second-grade class in Killingly, Conn.; Ducks Hatching originated in a third-grade class in New Rochelle, N.Y.; and Spyrtle the Turtle sprang from a songwriting workshop with third-graders in Atlanta. Steve is busy finishing his first music video, due for release in early 2008.
For more information, call 215-222-1400 or visit http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventcategory.asp?c=45 For a complete fall performance schedule, visit www.stevesongs.com
A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE
In the Scholastic Video Collection’s best-selling story Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary, available on DVD Sept. 25, there are simply too many mice running around the Mountain View Inn, so Ralph is forced to leave.
After persuading his human friend, Ryan, to take him to school, the fun — and the danger — begin! Wily Ralph feasts on students’ lunches, narrowly avoids the mouse-hunting school janitor and becomes the subject of a maze experiment in mouse intelligence. As they thrill to Ralph’s madcap adventures, young viewers may also get a new perspective on daily life and become inspired for creative thinking.
Ralph S. Mouse . . . And More Exciting Animal Stories! also includes two other soon-to-be family favorites. Uncle Elephant is an award-winning tale of old uncle elephant who tries to cheer up his nephew until his missing parents return. The story, from author/illustrator Arnold Lobel, provides viewers with a heartwarming lesson about caring.
Similarly, Stanley and the Dinosaurs, adapted from the beloved book by Syd Hoff, is a story of friendship, sharing and individuality. Stanley, no ordinary caveman, befriends a quartet of dinosaurs, who help him build the world’s first house. With his "out of the cave" thinking, he leads his whole clan to a better life.
STORYBOOK CLASSICS
Some of the best-loved tales in children’s literature are collected in Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics, from Scholastic Video Collection, offers families 100 classic, award-winning storybooks on 16 DVDs available Sept. 25.
The collection features works by some of the most acclaimed children’s authors and illustrators including: Maurice Sendak, Ezra Jack Keats, H.A. Rey, Kevin Henkes, Doreen Cronin and Robert McCloskey, just to name a few. Celebrity narrators add excitement to the stories, including James Earl Jones, Forest Whitaker, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah Jessica Parker, and many more. A helpful read-along option also allows viewers to read the words along with the narrators.
The 16 titles include:
o Where The Wild Things Are . . . And Other Maurice Sendak Stories
o Harry The Dirty Dog . . . And More Terrific Tails
o Curious George Rides A Bike . . . And More Tales Of Mischief
o Good Night, Gorilla . . . And More Bedtime Stories
o Chrystanthemum . . . And More Kevin Henkes Stories
o Chicka Chicka Boom Boom . . . And Lots More Learning Fun!
o Harold And The Purple Crayon . . . And More Harold Stories
o Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type . . . And More Fun On The Farm
o There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly . . . And More Stories That Sing
o Make Way For Ducklings . . . And More Robert McCloskey Stories
o Corduroy . . . And More Stories About Friendship
o Strega Nona . . . And More Caldecott Award-Winning Folk Tales
o The Snowy Day . . . And More Ezra Jack Keats Stories
o Is Your Mama A Llama . . . And More Stories About Growing Up
o The Teacher From The Black Lagoon . . . And More Slightly Scary Stories
o Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People’s Ears . . . And More Stories From Africa
BRAZILIAN PLAYGROUND
Brazilian Playground Samba, bossa nova and forro are among Brazil’s most popular and accessible musical styles for adults and children. This new CD features these and other engaging rhythms that reflect the country’s diverse culture and easygoing way of life.
A celebration of the exuberant sounds of this country, these 13 child-friendly songs are from many of Brazil’s most talented musicians. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to the Axé Project in support of its efforts to educate and defend the rights of disadvantaged Brazilian children.
OPEN WIDE!
Oral hygiene can be fun, at least if you’re in Dr. Flossman’s zany classroom! There are 32 students in all — eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars and 12 molars. Together they recite a daily pledge "to the gums on which we stand, strong and healthy, with toothbrushes and toothpaste for all" and listen to Sally Incisor’s report on baby teeth. Even the tooth fairy drops by to add a little more dental inspiration.
It’s all part of the offbeat, imaginative fun of Open Wide: Tooth School Inside . . . And 4 More Fantastic Children’s Stories, the latest release in the Scholastic Video Collection, distributed by New Video.
The title story, in which tiny teeth have loads of fun teaching kids about helping others (and good dental hygiene!), was adapted from the acclaimed book by author/illustrator Laurie Keller, and was awarded Nick Jr.’s "Best Book of the Year" award.
Two additional kid-favorite Laurie Keller stories are also available in the Scholastic Video Collection: Scrambled States of America…And More Stories to Celebrate Our Country and Arnie the Doughnut . . . And 4 Other Fantastic Adventure Stories.
This animated Scholastic Video Collection production features a helpful read-along function and is enhanced by four more stories by some of the best-loved children’s authors: How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? (based on the book by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague); Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (based on the book by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas); Joey Runs Away (based on the book written and illustrated by Jack Kent); and Doctor De Soto (an Academy Award-nominated film based on the book written and illustrated by William Steig). ••
Columnist William Feldman can be contacted by e-mail at wmkidscolumn@aol.com