I’ve discussed with several blog friends just how difficult it can be as a parent to expose your children to appropriate music that you can also enjoy. EDad has an extensive hiphop collection but the majority of the artists are either pre-2000 or from Europe. Not just because of the music involved (we both definitely lean towards a jazzier sort of sound) but also because of the content of the lyrics. There’s a new group in town composed of some oldies but goodies that not only meet our taste but are a great learning experience for kids.

The Dino 5 are featured on the new cd Baby Loves Hiphop and while the songs and idea are new the artists featured are not.   Here is a rundown of the cast of characters:

M.C. T-Rex is played by Chali 2na of jurassic 5.

Tracy Triceratops is played by ladybug mecca of digable planets.

Teo Pterodactyl is played by Scratch from the legendary Roots Crew.

Dj Stegosaurus is played by Prince Paul.

I have to admit to be absolute tickled to hear Ladybug on this cd. Digable Planets is a long time favorite and her voice is still just as smooth and sweet as it was back in my Cross Colours wearing days.  The Roots are another family fav and Prince Paul (of the classic Stetsasonic) contributes his voice and his prolific producing skills.

The cd is presented in the format of a story- with snippets of narration so that a lesson is infused into the infectious beats. ETot immediately bobs his head when the songs come on- you can sample a few and catch their first video at the Dino5 website.

The biggest seal of approval? EDad listens to this cd now when he has the boys in the car! Without any prompting from me. The Dino 5 take hip hop to a whole new level and although the cd is titled “Baby Loves HipHop”, kids of all ages will truly enjoy bobbing their head to the music.

When I received a package in the mail from the Parent Bloggers to review the latest Thomas the Tank Engine DVD you would have thought we won the lottery from the excitement and dancing of my two boys. We sat down to watch Thomas in his newest adventures learning things about politeness and the good things an engine should do.

Working together is something we are diligently learning in our household with a know-it-all 5 year old and slightly Napoleonic 3 year old, and Thomas gave some good examples to talk through on the importance of working together. It was nice to also be able to discuss lessons from each episode with my 5 year old to learn from as he navigates his daily world. Many of the characters featured in the stories are rarely heard from, including a new engine named Marge. My 3 year old pointed out different engines, sometimes by name but also discussing color and vehicle type. We also pulled out our Thomas books to see if we could find various characters in the books, integrating even more learning opportunities.

6 episodes are featured on this DVD which you can find at Amazon for $9.99. It’s a great gift idea to package with a Thomas toy or Thomas book to really excite the little Thomas fan in your life.