Just one look at the CD case is all that you need to know that you are about to be swept away into a magical, mysterious, enchanting world. You can't fail to be intrigued by the mystical creatures and cheerful looking children in the picture as you try to take in all the adventures going on just in that one picture.
Well, the official blurb gives you a brief introduction to the wonderful Land of Sometimes which will make you want to find out more. "Over the ocean, far away, there is a magical place called 'The Land Of Sometimes' where four seasons pass within one day, and everyone who lives there has a song…" (Four Seasons In One Day ? That's made me want to dig out my old Crowded House CD now !)
The central characters, twins Alfie and Elise, journey through the magical land, meeting a whole host of colourful and eccentric characters on the way, including the River Slouch Sling who just wants to make friends, Little Twink, a mischievous little fairy; Mrs Blip who likes to make you slip, the Chameleon Catcher and the Willow Tree Choir Boy, to name but a few.
The music reminded me a bit of Zingzillas, as the songs introduce a whole range of musical styles. The creators explain : "Catchy, melodic, sometimes hilarious, each song is different from the last. Irish folk to New Orleans jazz, reggae to disco, poetry to simple beauty, these songs have a universal appeal and are an introduction to the eternal power of music and storytelling."
But it's not all music because the songs are interspersed with storytelling which helps keep younger listeners interested for longer. The Madhouse mini-testers laughed at the silly voices and the funny parts of the story and they all talked about it after I'd turned it off so they obviously really listened to and understood the words.
We all really enjoyed listening to the CD and I can see this becoming a firm favourite in The Madhouse. It would also be great for putting on in the car on a long journey to help while away the time. There is also a lovely website to enhance the whole Land of Sometimes experience at http://www.thelandofsometimes.com/ where you can learn more about the characters and songs, follow the map around the Island, download wallpaper for your computer and print out the characters to colour.
You can also follow them on Twitter @landofsometimes and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thelandofsometimes
It will be released on 6th February but you can already pre-order it at Amazon.
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £9.90
for more information : www.thelandofsometimes.com
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This looks lovely. Might have to get this for my Little Miss Nocturnal :)
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