“I knew Mary Kaye’s Music Box was special 20 seconds into the first song, when my son Gabriel came running from the other room and immediately started dancing. The first track, ‘Under the Moon,’ is an invitation, as animals of all sorts -- including children -- lend their sounds to Mary Kaye's lyrical rendition of a walk through the night. With Kaye's deep, rich vocals (think Natalie Merchant) and a diverse blend of acoustic and electric accompaniment that evokes all the magical noise of childhood, listeners are drawn into a world that is decidedly kid, but where adults feel at home as well.

Rare is the children's CD that comes into our house and isn't loathed by the grown-ups after a week or two of kid-demanded repeated play. But Mary Kaye masterfully layers her songs, and adults will appreciate the underlying messages of love and compassion that are relevant to people of all ages. Music Box stands out in its consistent ability to tap into the everyday realities of childhood -- bugs in the house, hot chocolate, the love of a favorite toy -- and illuminate those experiences without condescension or preachiness. When Mary Kaye sings about how much she loves that plastic turtle, you believe it. Her deep respect and perspicacity are no more evident than in ‘Family,’ where a mundane task like buying groceries -- when seen through a child's eyes -- is so much more: ‘That's when I see we are a family / You are the whole wheat bread / I'm a tomato red / You are the blueberries / And we get picked up / And we get squeezed / And we are riding in the cart with our free cookie and our slice of cheese.’

Music Box is now in heavy rotation here, enjoyed equally by all 4 of my kids. Not only have I had no urge to toss, hide, or otherwise lose the CD, but yesterday I absentmindedly put it on while I was out doing errands, and found myself singing along, with no kids in the car.”

Now, want to be one of two winners to receive Mary Kaye’s Music Box CD? Here's how: