Conceived in 1999 when childhood friends Lizzie Swan and Marlowe Bachmann both became mothers and shared with each other songs they wrote for their newborns, The Swingset Mamas here offer a 15-song collection of tunes geared for toddlers to second graders. The production boasts clever and—given its indie budget—sophisticated animation, mixed with live action to illustrate songs, which are about everything from sunscreen to cleaning the house. The music is melodic and varied, delving into more mature genres (hip-hop, calypso and even blues) that will catch the ear of any grownup who happen to be nearby. The program is instructive and entertaining, and the repeatability factor is very high.

Shelf Talk: Rock-based music for kids is a growing business, with sold-out live performances and name stars crossing over to the lucrative genre. The Swingset Mamas music can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio—“Buckle Up” is in regular rotation. “Sunscreen Dance,” in use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, won an iParenting Award for Outstanding Audio Product last year.