Ziggy Marley brings his reggae vibe to the young set with "Family Time." But unlike many kid-oriented records, this one offers the right balance of music and message to make it enjoyable for the entire family. Make no mistake, this is a children's album, but one that parents won't seem to mind.

While this is Marley first album of children's music, he's no stranger to the genre. He performed the theme song to the PBS animated series "Arthur," and even supplied some tunes for "Dora the Explorer." Producer Don Was preserves the sunny feel of Marley's music, letting it sound at times less like a children's album. Under closer inspection, the lyrics give it away, especially on tracks like "ABC" and "Ziggy Says."

Marley gets a lot of help on the record from some high-profile friends as well as his own family, including mom Rita Marley, sister Cedella, and even his three-year daughter, Judah.

Willie Nelson lends his distinct vocals on "This Train," while Jack Johnson does his thing with "Cry, Cry, Cry." Then there's "Walk Tall" with Paul Simon, and Toots Hibbert, from Toots and the Maytalls, doing "Take Me to Jamaica."

Ending the record are two spoken word pieces by Jamie Lee Curtis. At this point, the record clearly reverts back to the age group it was intended.

JOHN CARUCCI
Associated Press Writer

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