Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: Here Come the Martian Martians
[purchase]
Jonathan Richman has never released a real children's album, but with some of his mid-'70s albums, he came pretty close. The songs were not meant for kids alone however, as anyone who has experienced Jono playing "Here Come the Martian Martians" to a 21-and-over crowd will attest.
That song, from 1977's, Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, is pretty typical of his kid friendly material: a mix of '50s rock and roll and childlike earnest exuberance. In an era when UFO paranoia was in full swing (at least it was in my nine-year-old mind), Jonathan made the Martians fun again.
If your kids can take his "I've got a perpetual cold" voice, a complete kid's album can be culled from his early albums. Several years ago, an acquaintance of mine did just that for his young son, and he gifted me with a copy. I passed it on to a close friend's daughter, a special-needs kid with wide-ranging musical tastes, and it took hold. It has been a bond between us ever since, and for that I am eternally grateful. Never underestimate the power of a good mix CD!