Whaddaya Think of That

Laurie Berkner serves up a heaping helping of whacked-out, slaphappy lyrics and get-you-moving acoustic guitar licks. The littlest listeners (Berkner's fan base barely skims the surface of the six-and-up crowd) will want to slip on their dancing shoes for such originals as the opening track, "We Are the Dinosaurs," on which a pack of prehistorics prance around, stopping only to eat their food when they're in the mood and take a rest over in their nest. The blues-soaked "I Know a Chicken" teeters on frenzied, shaky eggs and an over-the-top tempo, and the sweet, musically simple "123" tickles sentimental sides with its "koochie-koochie coo / I love you" refrain. Besides her surefootedness with her own songs, Berkner also nails a number of traditional tunes here, most notably "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain," "ABCD Medley," on which she artfully melds the ABC song with "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)," a gloriously kiddified rendition of the already infectious original. Overall, this record reflects Berkner's knack for stacking on the fun. Best of all, because of its standout instrumentation, parents are apt to groove along ungrudgingly, thereby setting the stage for a squabble-free shared musical experience. Whaddaya think of that? --Tammy La Gorce