From Wibbleton to Wobbleton

I confess that I usually cringe when cueing up baby-and-Mom-and/or-Dad lullaby videos. More often than not, these programs are shot in a participating daycare, feature screaming kids and caregivers ("Bobby, take your finger out of Melissa's eye now!"), and offer no instruction (not to mention little rhyme or reason) for viewing parents. Fortunately, From Wibbleton to Wobbleton, hosted and presented by professional storyteller Sally Jaeger, offers way more than a typical slice-of-madness/life at your local kid corral. Working with a group of parents and their amazingly well-behaved (or well-edited) bundles of joy, Jaeger informs parents that with a baby, they've now become "official storytellers." She then proceeds to share nearly 40 lap rhymes, finger plays, songs and lullabies, ranging from Mother Goose rhymes and counting songs to original creations. Jaeger encourages viewers to personalize the short songs by substituting the baby's name where applicable, offers suggestions for memorizing the pieces (tape a card to the changing table, for instance), and points out perfect places for a little quality singing time with baby (when walking and burping, say). At less than $15, this is an excellent buy that is sure to be popular with parents of newborns who want to get a head start in the great narrative tradition of telling stories to children. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)