By Lynne Dalton Heffley
The Little Prince
(Classic, 1993): Originally released in 1974, this remarkable
recording of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s fable about an
innocent, unearthly child who teaches a downed pilot that
the important things “can only be seen with the heart,”
features captivating performances by Richard Burton and
then-8-year-old Billy Simpson. It was magical then and it’s magical now, an ageless treasure.
What has changed since Parents’ Choice began rating quality
children’s albums in 1978? Audiocassettes eclipsed vinyl; then
came CDs and new internet technologies. Raffi became the first
superstar of children’s music, encouraging many other artists
to enter the field. Major record labels, recognizing a growing
industry, jumped into the children’s music business in the
early 1990s, and just as quickly stepped out, unable to meet
the marketing challenges.
What has remained the same? The best children’s audio, no
matter how varied in style, combines creative and artistic
excellence with content that respects a child’s intelligence,
emotional growth and humanity.
Throughout its history, the Parents’ Choice Foundation has
singled out hundreds of recordings for top honors—recordings
that represent only a fraction of those submitted for
consideration.
The past 25 years of critical scrutiny have proven one
indisputable fact: top quality children’s audio can’t be
defined or dismissed as childish. It is far too substantive
and rich.
25 Years of Audio
