Family-friendly tunes
German-language children's album Schnappi und Seine Freunde (Schnappi and His Friends) proves that good music is not bound by the limits of language or age.
Sung by 10-year-old Joy Gruttmann, the album is one that both adults and children will find enjoyable - whether they know a word of German or not.
Schnappi is a crocodile who stars in a popular animated children's television show in Germany. As the country's answer to Crazy Frog, he's stormed top 10 pop charts in Europe and even Australia.
First single Schnappi, which features a catchy rhythm and simple lyrics, reached the No1 spot on German pop charts last year. But apart from the fact that it's easy to sing along to, it's not the best song on the album. The singer sounds like she has a runny nose.
Mahlzeit is a lively and enjoyable track, while Ein Lama in Yokohama stands out for its Oriental-flavoured melody.
Rap song Sieben Hummein tries to ride on the trendy popularity of hip-hop, but fails as the charm of Joy's innocent, young voice is lost.
Nevertheless, it's nice to hear a child singing children's songs, rather than listen to teenage girls - such as those in local group Cream - trying to sound like adults.
