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According to Wikipedia, Hi-5 is an Australian television show aimed at 2-8 year-olds that includes educational trends as fun and games and features music and movement that would attract children's attention. "Hi-5 aims to cater to a wide range of young children with a wide range of cognitive abilities and learning styles."

I had no idea.

I am on the high side of that demographic and, consequently, would never listen to this music. I did like the vocals (Kimee?) on Away In A Manger, which was by far the best track, even counting Shine Your Light, the very nice new holiday single, which is also notable. Vocalizing on the CD are Kimee Balmilero, Karla Cheatham-Mosley, Curtis Cregan, Jennifer Peterson-Hind, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett. None of them sounded Australian to me, (though I later found out from a helpful reader named Bonnie, in beautiful BC, that the CD was recorded by the American cast and not the Australian cast.)

I understand this music is aimed at young children, but even so the frantic tempos seemed to cause the vocals to be sung too fast for small children, and yet these same galloping tempos were invariate enough to become monotonous and grating after a few of them. I wouldn't want to listen to this 1000 times with my kids is what I'm saying. Still, it was not a waste of time for me, because I liked hearing Chris Phillips and Chris Harriott's Shine Your Light.

Hi-5 fans will no doubt feel differently than I--they'll even like the personal holiday greetings at the end--so I wish them all a copy of It's A Hi-5 Christmas this holiday season. Ho, ho, ho.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:
Hi-5 are Kimee, Karla, Curtis, Jenn and Shawn

Executive Producer: Helena Harris
Composer: Chris Harriott
Hi-5 produced by: Kids Like Us and Nine Films and Television for Discovery Kids

Hi-5

It's a Hi-5 Christmas

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Track List