• Tracks

The three-CD set may require parents to have some familiarity with classical music in order to get children involved. Otherwise, for young ears, there will simply be some interesting piano, march and dance music and some of less interest. Parents with knowledge of the works included on the CDs will be better able to choose ones their kids will enjoy. For instance, Mozart's "Variations on a French Song" for piano is actually variations on the tune known in English as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," while Beethoven's "Für Elise" is a perennially popular work often taught to young piano students. The CD of marches may be even more accessible, including such super-popular tunes as Sousa's "The Stars & Stripes Forever" and Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette. " And the CD of dances will be the most... well, danceable: here are Tchaikovsky's "Russian Dance" from The Nutcracker, a ballet that many children may already have seen, plus Khachaturian's highly melodious waltz from his Masquerade Suite, and much more. There are two dozen "Piano Time" tracks, 22 for "March Time" and 18 for "Dance Time," all of them complete and uncut, so parents who are not highly involved in classical music, but who know enough so they can initially introduce their children to a few familiar pieces, will have plenty of opportunities to expand both their kids' musical interests and their own. And there is more fun for kids here than just the three-plus hours of music: the packaging includes three coloring sheets, six colored pencils with which to draw on them, and three sheets of stickers all nice bonuses to keep small hands busy while small ears are occupied with the music.