Free to Be You and Me :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

A Classic Kids' Album

2008-07-03
Great songs and funny skits from TV and comedy stars like Mel Brooks. Teaches kids good, progressive values using catchy, folky tunes even adults can enjoy.

An Oldie but a Goody

2008-07-02
I have fond memories of this soundtrack from my childhood and it is still relevant today. I purchased it for my 4 year old - he isn't crazy about any of the songs but he LOVES track 2 with the babies. He has it memorized. He also likes the track about the boy who cries in front of the principal, and the track of the boy who wants a doll. I think the messages are subtle but they still get through.

Good for the Parents maybe.. but not the kids

2008-05-12
This CD was a little old for my son. He prefers more of the nursery rhymes. Good quality but just not for us.

A classic - kids still love it

2008-02-24
Bought this as a present for my 3 y.o. nephew. He loves it even though he hasn't seen the movie. Some of the songs don't make a lot of sense outside of the context of the movie but that doesn't seen to matter to him. It has become the no. 1 soundtrack in the family minivan.

Still a "must have"

2008-02-14
Bought this for my 7 month old grandson--he LOVES the musical parts --sings and grins (so to speak) as soon as the title song comes on, and I know he will enjoy the sentiments as he grows older.

The best music for kids

2008-01-01
There are thousands upon thousands of children's albums out there, but the one that quietly left its mark with more '70s children than perhaps any other album was this disc. Free to Be...You and Me was a pet project of proud feminist Marlo Thomas (a.k.a. "That Girl"), and it was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be." Harry Belafonte sings "Parents Are People," ex-football great Rosie Grier offers an incredible, touching melody titled "It's All Right to Cry," and Diana Ross waxes future-positive on "When We Grow Up." A great hour of brain food for young--and not-so-young--children. --Denise Sheppard

Still wonderful after all these years

2007-12-24
When I was a child in elementary school - back in the 70's, all the teachers played this album. It is a wonderful collection of poems and songs that tell children it's ok to be themselves and ok to show their feelings (It's alright to cry). When I mentioned that I bought the cd to a friend, she immediately started reciting the Baby Story - I am a girl- and both of us recited the poem (Carol Channing) telling little boys and little girls, when there is housework to be done, do it together. I wish that my daughter's teachers would have played this when she was in school. Instead, she gets to listen to it now with her mother who doesn't sing so well. Hopefully, she'll cherish these moments as much as I cherish sharing this cd with her.

If you're thinking about it, BUY IT!!!

2007-11-12
I was given this ALBUM, yes vinyl, when it was originally released, back in the 70s. I loved it then and love it now. I bought the CD for my 3 year old daughter and she loves to listen to it. She can sing along with the songs and loves the little stories. This is a wonderful gift that will help kids understand how special and unique they are. I know it helped me realize we can all be different and all be special. It's fantastic and I can't say enough good things about it. By the way, I still have my album. I just can't part with it.

A must-have

2007-10-13
A must have for any child. We routinely buy this for anyone we know who has a baby.

Lifelong Favorite

2007-09-28
I was once identified by my child's music teacher as being part of the "Free to Be, You and Me" generation, and indeed, I was brought up on this album. As I remember it, a controversial and revolutionary compilation that tackled gender stereotypes in the 70's. Twenty-five years later, my children enjoy the upbeat music and the funny stories as much as my sisters and I did. Inspiring equality, authenticity, and self-esteem, this album's themes span generations. If it was a favorite of yours, make sure your children listen too!