When you listen to his music you realize Gunnar has the wonderful awareness that on his journey through life he is many things at the same time: child, parent, teacher, student, witness, human.  Now, that journey is no different from the rest of ours except that Gunnar is able to chronicle his with humor, warmth and some damn catchy tunes.  In some of his prior CDs Gunnar has visited waltzes (“Spinning World”), jazz/rock (“The Power of a Hat”) and children’s songs that can be silly or thoughtful or usually  both at the same time (“Old Mr. Mackle Hackle” and “Ants in My Pants”).  Each of these is worth checking out whether or not you are a parent and regardless of your children’s ages.

With “I’m Growing” Gunnar manages to pay homage to where he’s been on his earlier works (a bass voice familiar to BOB’s fans rumbles through certain tracks, cats receive the same insightful analysis as have dogs before them and waltzes continue to stick in your head), be present with where he is now (“Sun Comes Up”, “Cutest Little Guy” and “Tonight”) and cast a hopeful eye towards the future (“Raise Your Voices”).  Mozart and librarians also get their due in his inimitable fashion, and the traditional song “Shenandoah” reflects the soulful interpretation that “Home on the Range” (from “Ants in My Pants”) and “Naïve Melody” (from “the Power of a Hat”) received before it.  Gunnar’s liner notes for each song also lend unique insight.

Yeah, I’m a fan, I reckon.  Give "I'm Growing" a listen and you’ll be too.
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...and that's a good thing.  As a kid I loved the goofiness of Roger Miller and Harry Nilsson's theme to "The Courtship of Eddie's Father".  Kids innately understand the "joie de  vive" inherent in that music and Gunnar Madsen carries on that tradition here.  Sure it's wacky but also very smartly arranged and produced.  Check out more than one sample as each track offers refreshingly different influences.
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I love this album (and his earlier albums for kids) so much that I listen to them when there are no kids around. It's wonderful -- beautiful music, clever lyrics, and a sense of respectful playfulness that I don't always feel from other makers of kids' music. 
A caveat about the recommended if you like list: I adore Ralph Covert and Peter Himmelman, am lukewarm on Dan Zanes, don't like Laurie Berkner, and have never heard Harry Nilsson. Gunnar Madsen is up there with RC and PH in my personal musical pantheon.
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