Berkner;Laurie Band We Are the

My son watches Noggin quite a bit, and we were thus introduced to the music of the Laurie Berkner Band through their "music videos" on that network. The songs are cute and catchy and generally not as annoying as most children's music, but lately our favorite song videos--for songs like "Pig On Her Head" or "Victor Vito"--have been airing less and less frequently. So I was really excited to see this collection advertised on TV. It not only has our favorites (other songs include "Buzz Buzz Buzz," "We Are the Dinosaurs," and "Under A Shady Tree") but a few songs we didn't know yet and a bonus audio CD to take along in the car. One song, "I'm Gonna Get You" goes over the days of the week, and I think it will be a fun way to teach the days to my son, so I'm looking forward to getting to know it better.

The settings for the videos are simple and colorful, the band's scenes are mixed with kids singing along, just as on the Noggin videos, and the band members themselves are fun, seem friendly, and wear really colorful clothes that are sure to catch kids' attention. It should be noted that the videos on this DVD are NOT the same as those on Noggin; they've been redone with slightly more elaborate sets and with a different group of children.

The quality of the songs, videos, and performances are all top-notch. My only real complaint is that one song is sung by the backup singer Brian, who is apparently much better at harmonizing than at singing a melody. His "Oh Susannah" is off-key and not nearly as enjoyable as the other videos.

The DVD has 10 songs as well as bonus behind-the-scenes videos. As mentioned it comes with a bonus audio CD as well. Overall, I think this is a great buy for anyone familiar with Laurie Berkner's music or with the videos on Noggin, and I also think it's a great buy for any parents looking for some fun music to sing and dance along to with their children. Considering the number of CDs Laurie Berkner has out there, there could perhaps have been more songs on this collection, but it's on par with most children's music videos and indeed some adult music video collections, so I don't think this is a detriment to the item.

I bought this CD/DVD combo after reading the reviews here. I was mistaken in thinking the DVD would show the same videos that are shown on Noggin. They are not the same.
This DVD shows the band playing in front of a cheap, tossed together prop set. Some songs are a bit more visually pleasing with a few kids tossed in or some costumes.

*I am updating this review after having the DVD for a couple of months. Apparently my son's initial dislike of the CD has worn off. At age 2.5 he is completely captivated by the DVD. He knows all the words to "Moon, Moon, Moon" & asks for me to sing it to him each night before bed.
I would update my review to 5 stars, but I am unable to change it.
Moral is....if you child doesn't initially like it, try again a month later. My son now loves this DVD

My childern ages 3&6 love this dvd! They watch noggin and have seen her videos several times. This is a great way to get them up and moving for some exercise! They get excited not matter how many times that they see this. I would highly recommend this to any one!