"That Randy, he's funny!"

A kid's first crush is a very sweet and amusing thing to witness. For the better part of a year, the toddler has been enamored by the music of Randy Kaplan, a local singer/songwriter who's become a celebrity among the under 5 set in our Brooklyn neighborhood. Everywhere Randy goes, kids call his name, shout, cheer and sing along to his songs. It's not hard to understand why - he's charming in person and on record - and he's certainly charmed our kid. She gets both coy and excited when she sees him perform every week and he's a regular fixture on the stereo, not to mention in regular conversation around our house.

Five Cent Piece, Randy's first CD for kids (he's got other recordings for adults) is a blend of wacky, funny originals (the toddler's favorite is about the shark in the bathtub called "Shampoo Me") and interesting interpretations of classics including the Stone's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (if you've got a toddler, you can just imagine what that song is about). He's got a rambling singer/storytelling style which he often ad libs when he's playing live, and he's just really really funny and engaging. He makes an immediate impression on kids and that's how he's gained his legion of fans, both adults and kids. When his CD makes its way back to the stereo after a rotation of other mind-numbing kids music, I almost sigh of relief - he's like an old family friend.