Subtitled "And Other Songs for Children,"
Abiyoyo is one of many collections of
Pete Seeger's folk songs for children. But from the colorful artwork to its kid-friendly short running time -- seven brief songs, perfect for children's attention spans -- it's probably the only one that feels like an album you'd actually play for or give to a child. The songs, from the ballad-like story song "Sam the Whaler" to the downright silly "Where Are My Pajamas?," are played with easy grace and humor by
Seeger, who treats each song exactly as he would a song that was putatively for adults. Never condescending to his audience or affecting a cutesy demeanor,
Seeger pulls off the effective trick of treating kids not as kids, but as human beings. The result is that
Abiyoyo is one of those extremely rare children's albums that's likely to please adults as well.