Kids Let's Learn!

Billy Bragg takes his fascination with Woody Guthrie's music in a logical direction — with a cover of Woody's "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8." And Woody's occasional partner, "Ramblin'" Jack Elliott, also records a Guthrie track, "I'll Write and I'll Draw." Hi-5 amps up the NRG with "North South East and West" and "Five Senses," while everyone's favorite smarty-pants big kids, They Might Be Giants, contribute "Alphabet Lost and Found" and "The Vowel Family."

Most parents would be a little leery of anything their kids might learn from the Three Stooges (think: heads clobbered with boards, eyes poked, et al.), but they are relatively benign in "The Alphabet Song." Taj Mahal offers up the "Funky Bluesy ABCs," while They Might Be Giants spell out an alphabet with the names of nations (Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, Egypt, France, etc.) in the aptly titled "Alphabet of Nations."

Former folkie-turned-kids guru Peter Alsop does youngsters a solid with "Let 'Em Laugh," a song that reminds everyone that we don't necessarily get things right the first time out. Boston's Guster adds a little alt-flavor to the mix with the hygiene anthem "I've Got to Be Clean." Brown graduates and certified hipsters Elizabeth Mitchell (of Ida fame) and Lisa Loeb interact with kids on the engaging "Stop and Go."

Probably the first song you ever learned started with the lyric, "A-B-C-D-E-F-G…" Well, to borrow a phrase from the Talking Heads, "same as it ever was" — kids seem to enjoy being taught virtually any subject when accompanied by music. Not only are the likes of Barney and the Wiggles sitting in as substitute teachers; so are rockers, such as Lisa Loeb and They Might Be Giants, upping the hip quotient of the tot mixes immeasurably. If your young'un finds history a mystery or math a pain in the— well, you know…help is on the way.