Amazon.com: With the three-disc Raffi's Box of Sunshine, the reigning king of children's music fills in the blanks between the phenomenally popular Baby Beluga and The Singable Songs Collection for legions of tykes who can't get enough of the Toronto-based troubadour's goofy, good-hearted sound. The first disc, Rise and Shine, recorded in 1982, serves up a mishmash of traditional and original tunes including "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Wheels on the Bus." The common thread on this 17-track album--though not every song is subject to a stitch-- is inspiration, bordering on spirituality ("Rise and Shine," "He's Got the Whole World," "This Little Light of Mine"). Lucky for listeners, Raffi refuses to get bogged down while delivering his message. Instead, his focus is on keeping things light, as he coolly demonstrates on disc 2, One Light One Sun, recorded in 1985. Here again is a hodgepodge of the familiar ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") and the nutty new ("The Bowling Song"), loosely linked by a theme of diversity and acceptance (for example, "Ching lives in China, Olga lives in Russia / And each one is much like another"). Disc 3, Everything Grows, recorded in 1987, veers from the point-making path of its predecessors and instead asks its listeners to suspend high-mindedness in the pursuit of sheer silliness, if only temporarily. There's "Bathtime," the opener, complete with simulated scrubbing sounds; a spirited instrumental polka version of "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"; and "Eight Piggies in a Row," an accordion-heavy lament for a hapless line of porkers who can neither laugh, cry, sing, nor dance. Combined, the three discs constituting the Box of Sunshine deliver not a moment's dimness; instead, playfulness, cheeriness, and fun radiate throughout these records, and legions of Raffi fans as well as the few remaining uninitiated will love them. --Tammy La Gorce
Great for car travel My son has loved these CD's for car trips since he was two. Now he's 4-1/2 and still loves them. They are enjoyable listening for parents too.
Raffi's Box of Sunshine Raffi is a wonderful children's musician! His music offers a variety of tempo and pitches and his songs are fun and easy to sing along with, too. Raffi puts his heart into his music, providing timeless tunes as well as creative, positive songs about animals, children and people of all cultures around the world.
Great kid-friendly music! My daughter loves these CDs! We sing along and dance to some of the songs every day!
Great collection!!! Yes, I agree, Singable Songs is a great album. And, at first, this album didn't grab me. But one day we took it in the car on one of our long drives and BAM, it hit us, it's a great collection! I love every CD in this collection, all the songs stay with me (in a wonderful way) and my daughter loves them just as much as the Singable album. This would make a great shower gift since it's nicely priced and you get three albums! Rock on Raffi!
Raffi Rocks! Raffi's Box of Sunshine is an essential part of any true music enthusiasts collection. Raffi is truely one of the greatest American singer/songwriters of all-time, nearly unparalleled in his craft. His immense influence on music and pop culture still sends shivers up my spine. Although his music on a basic level his music is intended for children, it can also be appreciated by adults. For example, "I'm In The Mood" is a kid's song on the surface, however it is also intended to have a much more mature sexual subtext. Other songs of his, such as "Something In My Shoe," deal with issues still relevent in America today. "Something In My Shoe" is a brilliantly crafted lyrical masterpiece about not being able to get something out of your shoe. Finally, "Riding In An Airplane" is quite possibly the greatest song of our generation. This prophetic anthem portrays post-9/11 fears of flying, while it was also written as a self-exploration of Raffi getting over a drug addiction. I can not reccomend this box set enough. It is well worth whatever you pay for it.
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