The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro

1	Kid Astro
2	Just Like the Monkeys
3	Fee Fi Fo Fum
4	Mr. Rabbit
5	Dumptruck
6	We Are Ants
7	The Tea Tale
8	Miss Molly Crackerjack
9	Who's the Winner?
10	Sucking Cider from a Straw
11	Playground
12	Old Man Dan
13	Sun in My Eyes
14	Treehouse Orchestra

Barnes & Noble

Ralph Covert has become a favorite of parents with his kid-pleasing songs and adventurous sound, which joins rock and folk with such unexpected elements as jazz and polka. His fifth children's album recorded under the name Ralph's World, The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro should bring cheers from both the peanut gallery and their music-loving moms and dads. It kicks off with the uncharacteristically hard-rockin' title track, which marries a prog-rock vibe to a piano-driven power-pop delivery -- Ben Folds channeling Rush, perhaps? -- in service of a tale about a boy space traveler, complete with outer-space effects. As always, Covert doesn't limit the scope of his lyrics. The twangy, acoustic-based "Down at the Glen," the toe-tapping "Just Like the Monkeys," and the shout-along/clap-along "We Are Ants" explore creatures in the animal kingdom. Meanwhile, kids crazy for construction equipment will dig the cool sounds of the southern rock–styled "Dumptruck," and those who just wanna dance won't be able to resist the call of the rhythmic "Fee Fi Fo Fum," which invites little listeners to "jump up and down" and "clap your hands." Ralph puts his own thumbprint on the traditional "Sucking Cider from a Straw" and "Mr. Rabbit," but his own songs could pass for tunes handed down for generations. "Miss Molly Crackerjack," for example, gets a hot jazz–infused arrangement and a sprightly clarinet solo, but its tongue-twisting lyrics give it the appeal of a well-loved gem. Like its predecessors, Kid Astro features fanciful, homespun cover art from Giselle Potter, and her playful designs aptly represent the irresistible melodic and lyrical charm that explodes from the grooves of Kid Astro. Lydia Vanderloo

Time Magazine

Imagine Ziggy Stardust--era David Bowie doing the theme for a Nickelodeon cartoon, and you'll have the title track, a 3-min. rock operetta about a space boy who gets powers from a magic comet (but still has to go to school). From there, alt rocker turned children's rocker Ralph Covert runs through genres like a kid hitting every ride at a theme park: British Invasion backbeats, infectious Buddy Holly stomps and fanciful finger picking.