Frances England

The Southern-born, San Francisco-dwelling Frances England didn't intend to become a children's musician. But when a fund-raising CD she recorded for her son's preschool began to draw attention, a career landed in her lap. That informal recording came out as Fascinating Creatures in 2006, and the award-winning Family Tree released two years later. England's talent lies in the effortlessness of her sound: she sings simple, indie-influenced songs that intimately -- but never preciously -- engage with the small, quiet world of childhood.