A Holly Jolly Kids Christmas (CD - 2007)

Illustrators: Poo Geok Tan; Nicole K. Cioe; Simon Oxley; Philipp G.

The initial release in the Universal Music Family series, this various-artists collection on Universal's Hip-O reissue label compiles child-oriented Christmas recordings dating back to the 1940s (Spike Jones' "All I Want for Christmas [Is My Two Front Teeth]") and up to 2007 (Raul Malo's "Marshmallow World"), including some of the biggest all-time Christmas hits, such as Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock," Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and the Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk Song." That last title was licensed from another record label, as was the '80s novelty hit "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy. A range of styles from country-pop to rock & roll and from pop-soul to traditional jazz is represented on this wide-ranging disc, which never strays from the holiday spirit and which should please both parents and children. ~ William Ruhlmann minimize