Stimulating babies" brains vies with soothing babies to sleep to be the supreme mandate for young parents. With A Child"s Gift of Lullabies, the Rock-a-Bye series squares the mandates well, making enticing music that sparks synapses ever so gently even while lulling to sleep. This lullaby collection continues the Rock-a-Bye tradition and features new compositions in a timeworn framework (there"s a separately sold volume 1). Part of the reason the music works is because of its ultimate smoothness--which too often is considered synonymous with blandness. With vocals by Barbara Bailey Hutchinson and an accompanying ensemble of nine musicians, the textures meander to the soothing middle-low register. In addition to the ensemble is an extended string section of 19 players, adding oceanic flows of continuous melody. The accompanying book helps orient the parent to unfamiliar tunes. If the neolullaby tradition has you down, however, try either Disney"s excellent Lullaby or A Child"s Celebration of Lullaby. --Andrew Bartlett