EDITORIAL REVIEWS



Parents Choice Gold Award!

The field of music for young children has grown significantly over the 20-plus years since Hap Palmer began recording his educational, music-and-movement-based albums. But this notable singer/songwriter, multiple instrumentalist, and early childhood expert is still at the top of his game, and the proof is this exceptional album. Here, mellow-voiced Palmer isn't using his notable talents to draw young listeners into an understanding of phonics, math basics, shapes and colors and other educational concepts; instead, he has turned real life-inspired moments ("Morning Time at the Zoo," "Scamper," "Food") and all manner of holidays (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Thanksgiving, Cinco de Mayo, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Halloween), into musical gold, rich with varied rhythms, resonant lyrics, and inspired melodies and harmonic layers. The album ends with soft instrumental tracks of each song for individual or group singing. A pleasure for ears of all ages.

Lynne Heffley ©2016 Parents' Choice – A freelance writer and editor for the arts and non-profit organizations, Lynne is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where she established the paper's first weekly children's arts and entertainment beat.

www.parents-choice.org




Tillywig Award Winner!

This uplifting sixteen-song musical collection celebrates holidays and occurrences great and small, days and moments that stand out in our individual or collective histories as being special. The album kicks off with 'We Have a Dream,' a soulful, gospel-tinged song with a resoundingly upbeat feel that celebrates Martin Luther King Day. It's a perfect convergence of sound and concept and representative of the way the artist so successfully tailors each arrangement to the mood of the holiday. The songs traverse a variety of styles (including Bluegrass, Dixieland, Rock & Roll, and others) that are as diverse as the holidays and occasions they honor. Each song has vocals, but instrumental versions (original track minus vocals) are included for most of the tracks so that kids can enjoy singing along solo once they know the lyrics. Holidays include Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Fourth of July, Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, a Birthday Medley for family and friends, and several others.

tillywig.com




Academics' Choice Award Winner

What a fun, diverse, and well recorded album! The first song, "We have a Dream," gets right to the heart of social justice with a tinge of a gospel sound. "Cinco de Mayo" is a great tune to inform us about Mexican culture. The song is catchy and has a nice groove and contagious hook. We really liked Xin Nian Kwai Le for not only its uniqueness but for simply recognizing and including Chinese New Year in the collection. This cd is great for teaching empathy and cultural awareness to elementary aged kids!

We learned about many different holidays and cultures. In particular, the songs sparked conversation around the similarities and differences in languages and sounds. We loved the overall diversity of the cd.

We loved this cd! Witches' Brew was by far our favorite. I remember singing this one when I was a young lad!

academicschoice.com




Kids First! Endorsement and an All Star rating
from Coalition For Quality Children's Media

Kids Critics Say:
Hap Palmer Holiday and Everyday Songs is fun to listen to. We like the music and the singing. The singing is not like other songs. The songs have expression and feelings. We especially like the song Witches' Brew. The words are so fun and it's catchy. That song gets stuck in your head all day. We love it! It's our favorite. We also like the song Scamper a lot. We think other kids would like this CD because it's really fun!

Adult Critics Say:
At last count Hap Palmer has written over a million songs - most people will be too lazy to fact check that fact. It's an election year. I elect Mr. Palmer to the Kids Music Hall of Fame alongside Mister Rogers another bastion of children's rights even when they're wrong sometime and need a hug and a cup of musical cocoa. 'Holiday and Everyday Songs' is a 19-song extravaganza of musical styles and feel good candy kisses that will have mom and dad dancing in Neolithic ways and kids downright digging the tunes and sharing and learning different cultural celebrations and appreciations. This album is memorable! Reviewed by John Wood, KIDS FIRST! Music Judge.

www.kidsfirst.org