2020 Children’s Music Roundup
Welcome to Kids Rhythm and Rock’s third annual Children’s Music Roundup! For those of you new to the blog, each year I compile a list of my favorite albums, then organize them by categories that change from year-to-year. Normally I would have had this list up by the middle of December, but 2020 being 2020, it threw a last minute curveball that delayed things a bit.
The past year was a time filled with incredible challenges for children’s music. The pandemic found performers having to completely redefine how they brought their music to the masses, racial and social justice came to the forefront, and the GRAMMY controversy spurred the children’s community to action. Through it all though, one constant remained – children’s music continued to grow in ways that left listeners enthralled, enriched, and entertained. So let’s say hello to 2021 by taking a look back at the year that was in Children’s music. Don’t see your favorites in the list below? Add them in the comments!
Note: There has been a lot of discussion in the past few weeks regarding albums by BIPOC performers. I have denoted those albums with an (**).
Wide World of Music
Fiesta Global performed by Flor Bromley**
Live in LA performed by Aaron Nigel Smith & 1 World Chorus**
Songs Across the Pond performed by David Gibb and Brady Rymer
Unhurried Journey performed by Elena Moon Park**
¡Muévete! performed by José-Luis Orozco**
Let the Good Times Roll
Giggle and Burp Ballet performed by Randy & Dave
Kokowanda Bay performed by Ruth and Emilia
Cats Sit on You performed by The Story Pirates
Camping with Dads performed by Peter Alsop
For the Love of Dads
D.a.d performed by Pierce Freelon**
Wild Life performed by Wild Life
Songs with My Daughters performed by Elliott Park
With a Little Help from My Friends
Imagine That! The Sesame Street Music of Joe Raposo & Jeff Moss performed by Rena Strober and Friends
It’s Never Too Early
Be the Change performed by SaulPaul**
Backyard Bop performed by Red Yarn
Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders performed by Alastair Moock & Friends
Double Duty – Artists who were also authors in 2020
Una Idea Tengo Yo performed by 123 Andrés /Hello Friend, Hola Amigo by 123 Andrés**
Small But Mighty performed by Ginalina/The Mighty River by Ginalina**
Good Foot performed by Jazzy Ash/Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons by Ashli St. Amant (Jazzy Ash)**
Rockin’ Rhythms
Hi-Ya! performed by Go Banana Go!
Avocado performed by Rolie Polie Guacamole
Never Mind the Blocks, Here’s Jumpin’ Jamie performed by Jumpin’ Jamie
I’m an Optimist performed by Dog on Fleas
The Short and the Long of It
Honey performed by Frances England (6 songs, 15 minutes)
Awesome! performed by Jesse Jukebox (6 songs, 16 minutes)
Songs for Singin’ performed by The Okee Dokee Brothers (27 songs, 70 minutes)
Singing a solo can be an amazing experience, but there is nothing quite like singing along with a group of people to make you feel like you belong. When you’re singing with your friends and family, it doesn’t matter if you hit all the right notes or sing a wrong word once in a while. What matters is that you sing with all you’ve got. If you’re like me and you live in an area of the country where staying at home is encouraged, you might see businesses and churches in your town, or ads on TV, using the phrase “In This Together.” What better way to show that we are in this together than by singing along with one another? Below are just two of the amazing songs out right now that encourage us to warm up our voices and sing with all our hearts.
Swamp Romp
Nature and all of the wonders of the great outdoors have always been a keystone of the music that The Okee Dokee Brothers make, and today’s debut of the single “Countin’ On Me” was no different. As part of their ongoing partnership with the 
What a great month March is turning out to be for the release of picture books by the fantastic folks in children’s music. On March 7, we said hello to Thousand Star Hotel by the GRAMMY winning duo The Okee Dokee Brothers. This retelling of “The Fisherman and His Wife” illustrated by Brandon Reese features Mr. and Mrs. Muskrat who live near a big river. An accompanying CD includes the audiobook for the story as well as 11 songs performed by The Okee Dokee Brothers.
Also making a splash on March 7 was Dive In! by 2017 GRAMMY nominee Recess Monkey. Illustrated by Rob McClurkan, this interactive undersea adventure will delight young ones as they participate in the escapades of Burt the Blobfish and Sir Sebastian Stockingbottomham.
Mark your calendars! March 21 is the date for the release of the amazing Laurie Berkner’s new book, We Are the Dinosaurs. This combination of the lyrics from Laurie’s hit song “We Are the Dinosaurs” and adorable illustrations by Ben Clanton is sure to be a hit!
And in a #FBF Flashback Friday, I’d like to highlight Zar and the Broken Spaceship by children’s music extraordinaire, Dino O’Dell and illustrated by Santiago Germano. This is the story of three friends who meet the alien Zar, learn a lot about team work as they help him fix his spaceship and make a new friend along the way. One of the librarians who works with me has been using this book in her preschool visits this winter. The fun, interactive aspects of the story have made it such a hit with the preschoolers that it quickly became the finale of each storytime.
