Storytelling is an artform. I learned this fairly early in life, when my father begrudgingly read us kids a bedtime tale and inflicted an age-inappropriate world-weariness into BABAR.
The Good Ms. Padgett clearly enjoys storytelling through song. And young children will clearly enjoy the storytelling on her new CD, "The Good Ms. Padgett Sings The Little Red Hen."
The four-track collection takes the simple tales of "The Little Red Hen," "Goldilocks," "Henny Penny," and "The Billy Goats Gruff," and relates them in simple, bright tones. Anna Padgett teaches music to preschoolers and definitely knows her audience. It takes a knowledgeable voice to twist the ending of "Little Red Hen" and remove the acid sting of the original tale.
Each short story has its message but the presentation removes all pretension of moral authority: These are children's tales with simple situations and easy to learn solutions. Ms. Padgett is delightfully engaging in her role of guitar-strumming storyteller. The music is gentle and lilting. We're putting aside the disc until Matt (15 months) is old enough to comprehend the basics. And I've pledged to not make the Berenstain Bears sound like Death of a Salesman when I read that to him as well.
The Good Ms. Padgett is available on iTunes, CD Baby, Bandcamp, and other independent retailers. This CD will be released on Tuesday, March 20.
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