It’s not a new album (in fact, the responsible folk artist Bill Crofut died in 1999), but “Dance on a Moonbeam” is so beloved by me and my children that I want to turn you on to it anyway.

It’s not mandatory for Christmas, but it will provide any parent with lovely, heart-opening music for child’s floor play, craft projects, or soup-making next January. Check out the mini-audio clips on Amazon.com, where you can also read what critic Andrew Bartlett gushed upon the CD’s release. An excerpt:

Steeped in Shakespeare’s words and a magical ability to weave together Renaissance-era moods and American folk music, “Moonbeam” exudes a warmth and soulfulness that Crofut and musical partner Chris Brubeck create with the simplest instrumentations–banjo, bass, piano, cello, and voices, mostly.

Meryl Streep interjects brief readings of Shakespeare, a lovely complement to an incredible mix of Crofut’s rustic folk with classically trained singers…”Dandling Songs,” “The Bear,” “Simple Gifts,” and “All Through the Night” alone among these 26 stellar cuts make this one of the best children’s music recordings in ages. It eschews the simple means to a child’s ear and instead aims for the heart and soul, which “Moonbeam” reaches over and over with wit and creative depths that will unfold for ages.