A great musical gift for kids

I just posted this review at Amazon:

Farkle & Friends: CD by John Lithgow, with Bill Elliott and his orchestra.

“I’ve never heard John Lithgow’s other children’s music, but this CD is one of the best things I’ve ever listened to for kids. It takes you on a terrific romp through musical styles, introducing “serious” music to kids in a really fun way. As a classically-trained musician, it is enormously gratifying to find such a user-friendly, engaging introduction to the orchestra. Those who love the richness of classical music, and want the next generation to love it as we do, have a friend in John Lithgow. ”

I’d like to add (on top of my Amazon review), that I discovered this CD by accident after reading Lithgow’s book, “The Remarkable Farkle McBride”. Farkle masters and then rejects all the instruments of the orchestra one by one, finally discovering that what he really likes is hearing them all together. The rhymes are fresh and not singsong, even though it’s so rhythmic that on the CD he can recite it with precision alongside a musical score.

The illustrations are great. The people are a little caricatured, but the instruments are near-photographic in their accuracy. In reality, of course, a Farkle McBride would make us all long to lock him in his room. At least. But it’s a great device to introduce the sections of the orchestra.

I highly recommend both book and CD.