Wee Sing is not "dumbed down," but it is "happied up," to an extent that bpothers me sometimes when I listen to the tapes. I just use them as starting points, though, so I can do them however it makes sense to me to do them. I would expect anyone who uses them to do that with them-- folk process, and all that.... As far as I can tell, no one at Mudcat is capable of doing anything in a cookie-cutter fashion. *G* I mean, if my husband sings them, they all come out sounding like Tom Waits let loose in the nursery after a night on the town. *G*

As far as inner city-- all the books I have used (I think I have them all now) include spirituals, as well as some items with a minor key. You might be surprised how kids react to those, even if spirituals are not part of their current cultural mix. And the play-songs, the interactive ones in there, are pretty much what Fred asked for (remember him?), and are not unlike game songs all cultures have invented for centuries.

~Susan