‘Smile at the Sun’: Perky, Poignant

You don’t have to be a preschooler to smile at “I Smile at the Sun,” a perky and at times poignant staging of rhymes, tongue-twisters and Dr. Seuss-like poems for children and “misidentified grown-ups.”

Between comic takes on childhood--trading ice cream, bathtub fears, bugs and Simon Says--the play by Judith Barrett Lawson at Two Roads Theatre in Studio City offers wisdom on loss, old age and the importance of dreams.

The simply staged poems are separated by blackouts and musical interludes, and performed with zest by an especially likable adult cast. Director Mark York moves things along at a nice clip.

One bit of stage business should go: An actress gets rid of annoying offstage companions by pointing her finger and pretending to shoot them. It’s an ill-considered gesture at a time when deliberate and accidental shootings claim children in ever-increasing numbers.

It’s the only false note in an unpretentious, pleasant hour; if you look for a book of Lawson’s appealing poems, you won’t find one yet, but plans are under way for publication.

* “I Smile at the Sun,” Two Roads Theatre, 4348 Tujunga Blvd., Studio City, Saturdays, 1 p.m., indefinitely, $5; (818) 766-9381.

Upbeat and Sweet: Children’s music is generally woven around positive themes, but singer Caren Glasser doesn’t want young listeners to miss the point on her new album from Kid Rhino, “There’s Nobody Else Like You.”

Every song on the light rock collection of new and old is a pop anthem to self-esteem, as is evident from titles such as “One Step at a Time” and “Give a Little Love” to “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and “We’ll Show the World.” It’s relentlessly upbeat--and surprisingly satisfying.

An easy listener with a soft-rock style, the album can’t boast much originality, but Glasser croons the ego-boosting lyrics with conviction: “From the top of your head, to the tip of your toes, you’re a special kind of person . . . you’ve got a new way of thinkin’ and your own special dreams to make come true,” goes the title song.

Anxious about learning to read or swim or ride a bike? “Take it one step at a time and we’ll always make it through,” is the reassuring message.

In concert, Glasser is a petite and spunky 30-something dynamo who assertively galvanizes a preschool crowd into bouncing along as she sings. Her recording style, however, is lighter and her ‘60s, teen girl group sound is sweeter.

* “There’s Nobody Else Like You,” Caren Glasser, Kid Rhino Records. Widely available. $7.98, cassette; $11.98, CD. Information: (310) 828-1980.