Eclectic CDs for kids

Sleepin’ The Jellydots
The average band would flinch at the prospect of eliciting yawns from its audience. Not so the Jellydots. Sleepin’—the national release of the band's 2004 debut CD, which was originally pressed solely in Austin—is a carefully crafted lullaby album, fully intended to lose its listener to dreamland as it plays. The songs, written and voiced by the duo’s Karla Manzur and Doug Snyder, grow progressively mellower as the disc rolls on. “Close your eyes,” Snyder croons in “Pretty Little Baby,” the penultimate track. “Close them and you will sleep.” Whoever said art lacks practicality? Drowsysword Music, $10.—Jay Ruttenberg

In the Kid Zone Asheba
In his fourth release, Trinidad native Asheba sings about our favorite things—ice cream, moonbeams and, of course, recess time. Backed by Walter "Wasta" Gonzalez (drums and percussion) and Michelle Jacques (backup vocals), Asheba keeps the mood lighthearted and fun with happy reggae beats. Chock-full of kiddie truths (“Make you happy when you feeling sad, got ice cream, then you must be glad”) and adult wise-words (“But don't eat it too fast, or you might just end up with a brain freeze”), the album will get listeners of all ages in the zone. COV Productions, $15.—Vanessa Friedman

Rock and Roll Garden Bari Koral
Tunes like “Pop” (“And the corn goes pop, pop, pop!”) and “Uh Oh” (“And we’ll grow up together but never grow old”) quickly become earworms: music and yoga teacher Koral’s voice sails atop the bass-and-drum accompaniment of bandmates Dred Scott and Eric Halverson. While the group has performed rock songs for NYC kids for three years and released an EP in 2007, this is the trio’s first full-length album. Songs like “Best Friends,” “Clap It” and “Big Sounds” may be a bit repetitive for fatigued parents, but they’ll suit the preschool set just fine. Loopytunes, $11.—Jessica Gross

Rise and Shine Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
In their buttoned-up lives, Key Wilde is an illustrator and Richard Clarke is a science teacher—professions that translate nicely to their musical personas as tag-team children’s singers. On their CD-and-book set Rise and Shine, the pair sing about typical kid-music fare—animals, moon travel, balloons—with conspicuous joy. Much of the fun lies in the duo’s flirtations with different genres, from British punk (“Favorite Names”) to a country trucker song (“18 Wheeler”).Little Monster, $13.—Jay Ruttenberg

Robot Dance Mr. Leebot
“Are you machine or human?” asks Lee Davila, a.k.a. Mr. Leebot, on the title track of his second album. Its 16 tunes offer more than just cool beats to bop to; they repeat the same lessons that you dole out on a daily basis— “Protect Your Nog” and “No Whining”—only with more synth sounds and video game samples. Self-produced, $12.—Amity Paye