A Dog Named Moo and His Friend Roo was produced in a grass-roots way: essence’s first album funded solely on the support of her fans on Kickstarter. Most songs were co-written by Jeffrey Pease with illustrations by Alex Conn.

This infectious collection of originals and familiar favorites for kids and kids-at-heart began as a gift of love for her son, Rhys, who has been enjoying these lighthearted, humorous tunes since he was born.

“I never set out to make a kid’s record,” essence explains. “It was the furthest thing from my mind. But when I had my son Rhys I needed to find creative ways to engage him in everyday events like taking baths, getting dressed, or wearing a seat belt. I find great satisfaction in capturing the joy I was experiencing with my son in songs. Then everything became a song!”