There’s a reassuring familiarity about the Putumayo Kids series that’s a little like Putumayo itself, which is sort of the World Music 101 of record labels. From the faux folk-art CD covers to the varied (though not terribly varied) array of international artists, Putumayo certainly knows its formula well.

In fact, you could argue such familiarity works better aimed at kids than adults. (Any enlightened listener of a given culture’s music sees some of the results for the surface excursions they are.) Which is why World Sing-Along is such a pleasant offering despite its predictable feel. I mean, is there a more clichéd Spanish-language song than “La Cucaracha”? Yet there it is, opening the CD, by Jorge Anaya, an El Salvador native whose articulation of the lyrics raises the song above its previous cartoonish feel among us Yanks. Fiddler’s Green Bush Band (out of Australia) delivers a faithful rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” that almost rescues the nation’s anthemic tune from the ironic rasps of Tom Waits’ 1976 version.

There’s even familiarity within the familiarity; Brazilian artist Hello Ziskind’s version of “Como Vai?” suggests a melody eerily reminiscent of the children’s classic “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (which has European roots). Speaking of familiar, indie-rocker turned kids’ music star Dan Zanes (of the Del Fuegos fame) shows up not once but twice — first on “Jig Jog Gee,” reuniting with Father Goose (who guested on Zanes’ “Little Nut Tree” in 2011) and with Screechy Dan; and then on “Jamaica Farewell,” with Afro-pop star Angelique Kidjo.

This is where World Sing-Along starts to lose me on the whole “world” thing. Granted, American kids probably are much more capable of singing along when a song’s in English, but there’s a line that has to be drawn here, and as usual, Putumayo plays it a little too safe. (In fact, we all could have done without “That’s What Friends Are For,” if for no other reason that singer Frances England’s vocals sound like every other precious/precocious vocalist this side of Zooey Deschanel.)

Regardless, World Sing-Along will get the toes tapping, the heads bopping and, when kept with the borders, the lips moving. Me? I’ll take the Chinese tune “Going to School Song (Shang Xue Ge)” by A Little Mandarin. (Even if the band is, after all, based in the U.S.)

World Sing-Along, Various Artists, $13.99, Putumayo Kids. Available on Amazon.

Full disclosure: Atomic Family is an Amazon associate.