Kids Travel Songs

"Are we there yet?" Four simple words which, when repeated ad infinitum, amount to torture. But the best way to stop your nippers from yelling them, apart from deep sleep, is to keep the little rascals distracted and happy . . . and that's exactly the point of this junior travellers' collection. Woody Guthrie wizzes them off for a fun ride with his classic folk tune "Car Song", even blowing that gigglesome motorboat-engine raspberry accepted as the universal sound for automotive transportion, while the kid-fronted Sugar Beats take Willie Nelson's classic "On the Road Again" for a perky spin. And you have to check out the Wiggles' "Big Red Car" in all its Toot Toot Chugga Chugga glory.

Rascal Flatts will keep you zipping along at a tidy pace, in Next Steps.

You just know its going to happen — you're two hours late setting off, and the very instant things appear to be going in the right direction, you get slapped with the inevitable refrain: "Stop the car, I want a wee-wee." Well, it beats a speeding ticket, but there are alternatives: give them something else to sing. The folksong "Little Red Caboose" gets an acoustic Western campfire treatment from Lisa Loeb, Dora the Explorer takes a jazz-pop tack with cartography on "I'm the Map", and Rascal Flatts munch up the miles with their country-pop blast of goodness, "Life Is a Highway".

All aboard the reggae train, with Ziggy and Willie, in Deep Cuts.

You've remembered to pack the sweets, everyone's comfortably buckled up, and several counties have already faded into the reverse infinity of your rear view mirror. Now, the fun really starts, as ex-Beatle Ringo Starr leads his All-Starr Band on a spirited rendition of the psychedelic "Yellow Submarine", reggae star Ziggy Marley teams up with country outlaw Willie Nelson for "This Train" (try singing choo-choo-choo with them without breaking out a spontaneous and lasting smile) and Val Doonican tells the tale of "O'Rafferty's Motor Car" ("Two of the wheels are triangular", we're told).

Love it or hate it, you're going to end up doing it someday: the long car trip with the kids. Brings back a host of memories, doesn't it? Re-stocking with crisps and drinks at the service station; the inevitable hold-up at spaghetti junction; looking for words in number-plates; mum wondering if she's remembered to turn the oven off before leaving home; who's going to be the first to see the sea; being told by your parents not to read or you'll get car sick; completely ignoring your parents . . . and promptly getting car sick. Thank goodness for modern electronics. And air-conditioning. And songs about transportation. We'll give you as much help as we can and, who knows: thanks to Madness, Jenny Lewis, Rolf Harris and friends, you might end up actually enjoying the journey.