Wistful odes to rainy days, paeans to the munchies, narratives en español — EW rates the latest in parent-palatable children's tunes.
LISA LOEB, Camp Lisa
The clear-, sweet-voiced Loeb reinvents the camp-song genre with ditties about fireflies, rainy days, and bad pancakes. (Camp is exclusive to Barnes & Noble starting June 3 but goes wide Sept. 9.) Best song The snappy, country-tinged charmer ''Best Friend'' B
BARENAKED LADIES, Snacktime!
A pleasingly crazy mixture of tunes both folky and rockin', this set
touches on subjects from allergies and the importance of trees to a
serious love of, yes, snacks — all delivered with lyrical quirkiness. Best song The energetic shout-out to a homework tool, ''Eraser'' B+
DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS, Nueva York!
In this joyous Spanish-language celebration, the ex -- Del Fuegos frontman
and his talented compadres cover classic south-of-the-border kids' songs
about fishermen and beautiful islands, a terrific primer for niños and
an even better dance-party disc for their folks. Best song The Mexican son jarocho ''Colas'' A
JUSTIN ROBERTS, Pop Fly
With his sixth children's CD, Roberts proves he's a master of conjuring
images that resonate with the young ones (name tags + sack lunches +
parent volunteers = ''Big Field Trip''). He then couples those visuals
with Beatles and indie-pop flavors that'll make older types wax nostalgic. Best song The gentle ballad ''From Scratch'' B+
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