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Oh man, are we ever Laurie Berkner fans in this house! I first learned about her on the Noggin program Jack’s Big Music Show, but I have my sister in law to thank for really showing me the world of Laurie. She lent us the We are the Laurie Berkner Band dvd and we’ve been hooked ever since.
I would describe Laurie as a folk singer for kids. She writes her own songs and they are simple, creative, catchy and fun. Ella absolutely loves them! We knew that she loved music and loved to dance, but this dvd has opened up a whole new world for her. Through the repetitive watching, she has picked up some of the dance moves and parts of songs and can sense by the music where in the song to do them. We love to march to “We are the Dinosaurs” and spin around to “I’m Gonna Catch You.” Ella’s even gotten her grandma and great grandma involved in the Laurie watching, dancing and singing.
My favorite aspect of Laurie’s dvd (and the reason why this applied to us transracial families) is that the kids featured in the songs are all different races, different sizes and different ages. They look like normal kids, not like child actors. It appears that they were filmed wearing whatever clothes they showed up in that day (right down to the dirty, played in shoes,) and that is so relatable. I love seeing the different faces, and I think that is so good for Ella.
The songs teach lessons so subtly that the kids will never even know it. Since growing terribly weary of some other children’s singers (namely one certain group that drives a large red hued vehicle!) I really appreciate the fact that this is music that parents will enjoy as well. The dvd also comes with a bonus cd that is great for the car! I highly recommend it 
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Oh. My. Goodness. Are we ever Laurie Berkner fans in THIS house!
We actually learned of Laurie’s wondrousness via my daughter’s Mom on a visit. They had a CD in their car. When we returned home, I got a few for Nick, which was shortly before we got Noggin and saw her on our screen daily! Nick now plays his CD’s on a regular (daily, multiple times) basis. He loves We Are the Dinosaurs, Victor Vito, and, really, anything with a beat that he can shake his little rear end to! 
WOO!
Oh I LOVE Victor Vito! But one of my all time favorite songs of hers is the We’re Not Perfect song! I love what it teaches.
Laurie used to just have a little ‘commercial’ on Noggin, where she got to sing a song and that was it, then she was picked up by Jacks Big Music Show, which was another of my sons favorites. We bought her CD while she was still just a ’short’ inbetween shows, and I am glad that we did I really do love her music, especially when compared to the music of that big purple dinasour!
If you like Laurie’s stuff, you’ll love John Lithgow’s CDs for kids. My son is just nuts about them and although they are silly and appealing to kids, they still teach something.
I love that we have artists like these people creating great stuff for kids!
Jenna, you have to take a look at the pic of Ella that’ll post tomorrow…it’s her doing her “ROAR!!!” to “We Are the Dinosaurs”…it’s her favorite!!!
Julie, I LOVE the “not perfect” song! And now we mainly watch Jack’s Big Music Show for Laurie, and we all get excited when she comes on-lol!
Lisa, I actually have a John Lithgow cd that I forgot about!!! I can’t think of the name, but it’s the one that goes with the book about the boy who conducts an orchestra. I completely forgot about it and will dig it out now–thanks for making me remember, I bet Ella will love it!
I haven’t seen Laurie’s stuff I will have to look at this. I do have one who I think is just wonderful. Dennis Lee and the Nana Puddin Bunch. Dennis is just great. What makes it more fun for me is that I know him personally. I design and make his costumes for him and his puppets. He teaches great things to children and adults in a way that you don’t realize you are learning something until you have learned it. You can look him up at nanapuddin’.com.
thanks Debra~I’ll definitely take a look!
oh, this will date me some more, my kids loved Raffi and Hap Palmer! We’re working on paperwork for our second adoption tho, if we get someone small, we’ll have to check out this Laurie person.