"A disarming family music album that delights in the simple joys of childhood and teaches good life lessons, from a guy who's clearly been there and done that."
- Philadelphia Inquirer
"When folk rocker/pop-cult heavyweight Peter Himmelman applies his brainy quirkiness to kids' music, the result is an off-the-wall treat for ears and minds…clever lyrics and themes combined with catchy, upbeat music."
"Amusing and hilarious lyrics accompany these catchy tunes."
-Scholastic Parent & Child
"A genre-spanning hoot, full of tunes that luxuriate in everyday details."
- Hartford Courant
"In this kids' collection, he combines his rocker cool voice with a great sense of humor and sings about all the little details that kids like to think about -- like red rubber boots in the rain, the properties of an egg and mom's awesome dinner-making skills… everyone was snapping and singing along."
- Los Angeles Jewish Journal
Peter Himmelman raises the bar for all children's music artists with My Green Kite - this is children's music at its best and represents the level of children's music that our kids should be hearing.
- Chicago Parent and BestChildrensmusic.com
"The eclectic pop tunes will have playtime rocking in a snap."
- LIFE magazine
This is a fantastic album, chock-full of great tunes and production, with lyrics that sometimes speak directly to kids' daily lives and other times fire their imaginations. It'll make you smile and make you think. ... on my short list of favorite albums for 2007. Highly recommended.
- Zooglobble, the blog for hip kids' music
"The hip factor is high on this cool disk…sounds like laid-back cross between They Might Be Giants and Randy Newman, but this songwriting is refreshingly original."
- ParentMap magazine Seattle
"Quirky, pop-influenced tunes geared for kids ages 3 and up."
- Playthings magazine
"Himmelman earns his place among his contemporaries in the field."
- Chicago Free Press
"This is a singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter with his eye clearly fixed on what kids are all about ... an excellent aural companion to the everyday activities of simply enjoying your kids."
- Toronto Families
"This childlike celebration of innocence and wonder appeals to a range of ages, sparked with a wit that will make this a fun CD for the entire family."
- Treasure Valley Family magazine, Boise, ID
"The tracks feel almost like performance art…. Himmelman's sense of fun is contagious, and parents may find themselves enjoying My Green Kite as much as their youngsters. It's almost like being a kid again."
- Commonsensemedia.org/iVillage.com
"Himmelman's new album really rocks with his theatrical flair for making the stuff kids care about -- and adults take for granted -- groovy and cool."
- Familymanonline.com
"I enjoyed the material so much that I forgot it was intended for children. Everything about it works just wonderfully. This should garner a Grammy for "Best Children's Recording." Very highly recommended."
- Kenosha News
"One listen to the title track of this (too short) 39-minute disc and you know there's something special going on. Himmelman is no slouch when it comes to crafting powerful pop tunes, having forged a good living from straddling both adult and family listening bands. Some 15 releases ago (this is his third bona fide kids' release), Himmelman embarked on a critically-acclaimed solo career, earning him comparisons to Dylan, Elvis Costello and John Hiatt, yet he has clearly carved out his own niche - one that merges energy with creativity, blending nonsensical fun with heart-warming emotion.
My Green Kite kicks off with a somewhat silly ode to one's feet, fully orchestrated and developed, transforming it into a mini-opus, complete with back-up vocals and rich arrangement. Then there's the pure pop of the title track - classic Himmelman: hummable, addictive, purely positive. Or the story of Morris the Mule ("Another Bite of Hay") - a reflection on the meaning of life. The evils of vague parental responses to kids' questions is epitomized in the soulful "Maybe is a Bad Word", piano-driven in typical Himmelflourish, those back-up singers adding substantially to the overall import of his message.
Consider the lovely sentiment of "My Father's An Accountant" - a son's hero worship for the 'common Dad' - a legitimate tear-jerker, if there ever was one (Himmelman's "Father's Day" - his first solo recording, was an emotionally-charged tribute to his Dad, who died of lymphoma). This provides a glimpse into Himmelman's very personal and poetic world - his approach to kids' music is no less so than his approach at the adult level. At the same time, he knows to keep things upbeat and lively for the short set. His "A Dozen Roses" is a hilarious, how-to on the joys of young love while "Have You Ever Really Looked At An Egg?" zeroes in on another aspect of a kid's world - the discovery of everyday things, set to a seriously rocking beat (he knows that kids appreciate real music to pap).
Entertainment is his game, his message always imbedded in an appetizing way. Whether praising his Mom and her cooking, passing along inventive baseball tips, or professing the pride of owning red rubber boots, this is a singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter with his eye clearly fixed on what kids are all about. The added bonus is his exceptional vocals and piano-based compositions, which make for an excellent aural companion to the everyday activities of simply enjoying your kids. You can't ask for more than that from anybody."
- Eric Thom, Toronto Families Magazine
"Peter Himmelman raises the bar for all children's music artists with My Green Kite - this is children's music at its best and represents the level of children's music that our kids should be hearing. Listen carefully and you will hear true musical artistry! In a overly saturated and increasingly promoted market full of kindie rock artists, Peter Himmelman has soared above the crowd with an extraordinary recording that is worthy of everyone's attention. Kids will squeal with delight and parents will wonder why there is not more great music out there like My Green Kite."
- Fred Koch, BestChildrensMusic.com
Peter Himmelman has a rubbery voice, a vivid imagination, an ear for quirky pop songs that sounds ripe for the picking by some brilliant kids' comedy troupe, and a complete lack of self-consciousness--a combination you don't often find in kids' performers, even the most successful ones. My Green Kite follows the just-for-the-fun-of-it formula of previous discs like My Fabulous Plum and My Best Friend is a Salamander--here's Himmelman contemplating how confounding a word "maybe" can be ("Maybe Is a Bad Word"), examining the under-appreciated qualities of an egg ("Have You Ever Really Looked at an Egg") and, in a half-poignant, half-hilarious number, deeply regretting his embarrassment over his dad's painfully boring occupation ("My Father's an Accountant"). The word for these songs is screwball--there's a certain loose genius lurking below the surface. As the soundtrack to a Sunday-afternoon Lego marathon, they're pretty near perfect.
To watch an early release of the music video, "Wet Matches" click broadband or dial up
The Peter Himmelman Songbook
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Anybody ready for some Lemonade?
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Peter Himmelman - The Complete Sussman Lawrence 2CD
Sussman Lawrence, the legendary Minneapolis group that evolved into The Peter Himmelman Band, lives again with the reissue of its two distinguished and long out-of-print indie albums—“Hail To The Modern Hero!” (1980) and “Pop City” (1984). For more info click SUSSMAN LAWRENCE
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