Whatever your product is, the smart money is on hooking your audience early on. If it works for habits both questionable (smoking) and beneficial (reading), why not give it a try with promoting good music?

That was the idea behind Yo Gabba Gabba, the children's show created by two dads with no prior experience in children's entertainment. And given that one half of the creative duo is Christian Jacobs, lead singer of the Aquabats, it's not surprising that the show has had a musical slant from the very beginning.

Part of the fun of Yo Gabba Gabba is that it has drawn in parents and children alike, thanks to contributions from well-known bands and artists. There are reoccurring segments featuring popular musicians like "Biz's Beat of the Day," which stars 90s hip hop artist Biz Markie teaching the kids beatboxing, or "Mark's Magic Pictures," which features Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh bringing his artwork to life.

Additionally, many bands have recorded educational songs just for the show. Recently, MGMT stopped by to perform "Art is Everywhere," an exclusive track for Yo Gabba Gabba, and Of Montreal taught kids what foods they should eat when they're sick in a song titled "Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast." And while neither of those tracks are exactly Pet Sounds material, they're a great deal better than most anything else in children's entertainment. The best we could hope for when I was young was the Tiny Toons episode with two They Might Be Giants songs in it. So thanks, Yo Gabba Gabba, for preparing the children of the world for a better, Character Approved, musical future.

[Image: Yo Gabba Gabba]