Coronavirus may have stopped kids from going outside or attending school in person, but it hasn’t stopped them from being imaginative. The proof exists on Cats Sit on You, the latest release from the Story Pirates. The dozen songs were inspired by kids’ original ideas, including the timely “The First Kids to Work at the Census,” written by William, a 7-year-old whose father is an actual U.S. Census worker in California.
A nationally renowned group of top comedians, musicians, best-selling authors, and teachers, the Story Pirates have 15 years of experience creating content that literally did not exist before children thought it up, many times on the spot (for their live shows). Their Creators Club helps keep nascent minds firing on all cylinders with live stream workshops, radio shows, and podcast bonus activities. The fourth season of their podcast launches this week with the Halloween-themed “The Weird Sisters,” by 9-year-old Evalea from Missouri, a poppy Billie Eilish homage song composed by Monique Moses and featuring Stephanie Hsu of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The title track on Cats Sit on You is a deceptive earworm (complete with a dance, see below video) adapted from an original story by six-year-old Alex. It made an impression on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live and now is immortalized on this collection. The troupe always draws an eclectic group of celebrity and musical guests. Grammy winner Secret Agent 23 Skidoo breaks some rhythms on “Banana Clown” about a fruit-obsessed fast-food worker who finally finds his big break.
Unpredictability and plot twists abound on the songs on Cats Sit On You. That’s par for the course, with titles such as “The Raccoon’s Very Hard Choice,” “The Boy Who Hated Kisses,” and “The Mad Piano Player.” A rabbit discovers the wisdom of foraging for vegetables on “Cheese Quest,” and “Turtle Beach” is a paean to inclusion that sounds like an homage from a Disney film (think The Little Mermaid). Speaking of big-time musical productions, “The Amazing Adventure” acts as a gateway to live theater, whenever that happens near you. “One Little Pink Rose” could be sung by Adele (if Adele performed kids’ songs).
If your youngsters have a forté for creative thought, the Story Pirates may cater to their inner impulses. For your inner child longing for variety, Cats Sit on You is cabaret on demand.
Cats Sit on You is available from the Story Pirates website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Here’s the “Cats Sit on You” dance class video:
