Jack, Daron and Drew are Recess Monkey.
Driving around one day this summer with Kids Place Live on our satellite radio dial, we heard a song that had my 3-year-old bouncing out of her car seat and me wanting to hear again.
The song, “Haven’t Got a Pet Yet,” by Recess Monkey, resonated with me in a deeply personal way. When I was a kid, my brother and I waged a (dirty) campaign to get a dog. We would leave notes on my mom’s pillow and on the refrigerator: “I would be only be happy if I had a dog,” we wrote. Eventually it worked, and when I was eight we finally got our beloved pooch. In Haven’t Got a Pet Yet, a boy presents his case for a pet in a 21st century manner: via PowerPoint.
I took to the computer and discovered the wonderful video for Haven’t Got a Pet Yet, filmed in an animal rescue. I found out that Recess Monkey is comprised of a trio of Seattle elementary school teachers who have a clear affinity for The Beatles. Their latest album, Field Trip, was named the top children’s CD of 2009 in TimeOut New York.
The songs on Field Trip are, on the wholesale, insanely clever and refreshingly original. The tunes are catchy, the lyrics are funny, and the group stays clear from one of the pitfalls that plague other children’s music — they don’t patronize their listeners. Each song was inspired by real field trips the band members have taken with their classes, although I’m sure they never really went to see a Marshmallow Farm. Those don’t exist, do they?
Anyway, it wasn’t hard to fall in love with Recess Monkey and Field Trip. It has a universal, all-ages appeal, although it is aimed at kids 4 – 9. I am considering gifting it to the elementary school kids on my list, and my preschooler daughter can’t get enough of it. Her mom isn’t so eager to turn the channel, either.
Thanks to the generosity of Recess Monkey, we are giving away a free copy of Field Trip to one lucky chambanamoms.com reader! To enter, leave a comment telling us about your favorite children’s musician. The contest will close at 5 p.m. Friday at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, so be sure to tell your friends!
Kelly of Champaign is our winner (comment No. 9.)
Full disclosure: Recess Monkey did not pay us or solicit us to review its music. It did provide us with a free review copy of “Field Trip” and another copy for a lucky value, valued at a total of $30.00.
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