Amazon.com reviews for
"Sesame Street" (1969)

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Sesame Street - Fiesta! (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Fiesta means party in Spanish, and Sesame Street is pulsating with activity in this upbeat preschool program featuring Latino songs. Jim Henson's Muppets join the fun while everyone's favorite, Elmo, learns the Conga- Wiggle dance. Maria, Rosita, and Gabi create floats and costumes; even Oscar reluctantly partakes in the festivities. The dialogue is sparse in order to devote most of the 30-minute show to singing and dancing during eight Spanish/English tunes, featuring special performances by Linda Ronstadt and Celia Cruz. Most of the music will be familiar, such as "Conga Counting Song," "Amigo," and "It Sure Is Hot." Kids will also learn greetings, familiar words, and numbers in Spanish. While some might wish for the addition of live-action scenes of Mexico or a more complex story line, the bilingual focus is solid and the ever supportive cast of Sesame Street grownups, kids, and Muppets make it a neighborhood worth visiting. --Lynn Gibson

Sesame Street - The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: As Grover prepares to bestow the Frog of the Year award upon everyone's favorite amphibian Muppet, viewers are treated to some of the highlights of Kermit's Sesame Street appearances. From his on-the-street reports of nursery rhymes gone awry to his classic warbling ("It's Not Easy Being Green," "Caribbean Amphibian"), Kermit's sweet, befuddled nature shines in this series of clips. Meanwhile, mischievous pigs and a hungry wolf are causing trouble behind the scenes of the award show. Will Kermit get his prize or will his prize get him? Viewers ages 2 and older will undoubtedly stay tuned through the delightful 33 minutes to find out. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Sesame Street - Let's Eat (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Bubblehead waiter Elmo tires to serve food at Planet Storybook. While hobnobbing with Little Miss Muffet and others, he introduces several Sesame Street songs, including "Cereal Girl" (a satire of "Material Girl") and "The Most Important Meal of the Day." Best bit is Cookie Monster singing about things other than cookies that are good for you. --Doug Thomas

Sesame Street - Learning About Numbers (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: How many ways can you count from 1 to 20? The folks at Sesame Street know them all and run through them several times in this delightful, funny, and educational half-hour video. Big Bird and Count Onetwothree are the hosts of this takeoff on "The Tonight Show," in which Big Bird (as our Johnny Carson stand-in) introduces numbers and the Sesame Street folks act them out. Learning About Numbers is a mixture of original material and skits and songs from Sesame Street. A personal favorite: Kermit the frog as a passenger on an elevator operated by the Count, who keeps passing Kermit's floor because he loves counting the numbers so much. --Marshall Fine

Sesame Street - Learning About Letters (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Big Bird and Telly Monster lead young viewers through the alphabet, letter by letter, in a magical and imaginative half-hour discovery of letters and their sounds. The perfect tape for young Sesame Street fans who are just beginning to get the hang of what letters are all about, it includes short skits, songs, and other bits of business--some original, some culled from the Sesame Street show--featuring a variety of Muppet characters as well as the human residents of that famously educational thoroughfare. --Marshall Fine

Sesame Street - Sing Along (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Kids will enjoy this half-hour Sesame Street video, in which the whole gang takes a piano up to the roof and sings some of their favorite songs. But they are frequently interrupted by workmen Biff and Sully, who keep tuning in songs on their TV (only to knock the antenna out of whack). The blend of people and puppets is charming, and the bits culled from the TV show add to the fun. A pair of highlights: Ernie sitting in his bathtub singing the big hit, "Rubber Ducky," and Bert (in a magical bit of puppetry) dancing and singing "Doing the Pigeon." --Marshall Fine

Sesame Street - The Best of Ernie and Bert (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Perhaps a better title for The Best of Ernie and Bert would be Visits with Ernie and Bert, since the daunting prospect of culling the choicest episodes from more than three decades of Sesame Street is subjective at best. Only eight skits are included in this 30-minute program, which may result in viewer disappointment as countless "favorites" have been omitted. Having said that, the chosen scenes are gems, such as Ernie at the movies contending with a woman's large hat obstructing his view, or Bert residing at a meeting of the Association of W Lovers. Gina and Big Bird introduce the skits while reminiscing through a scrapbook; but, when their conversation turns to babysitting, viewers will wish for more Ernie and Bert and less introductory chitchat. Three songs are included and, thankfully, "Rubber Duckie" is one of them, though the classic bathtub sketch has been overlooked. Nonetheless, Bert's legendary sardonic wit and Ernie's sweet sincerity are wondrous to behold, and the humor ripens as audiences grow older. (Ages 2 and older) --Lynn Gibson

Elmo's World - Babies, Dogs & More! (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Sesame Street's cheerful redhead chuckles his way through this delightful 50-minute compilation of three favorite "Elmo's World" episodes. First come the babies: real babies, Muppet babies, and animal babies. With help from Mister Noodle, a cast of Muppets, and video vignettes featuring humans, Elmo discovers what babies can do and how to play with them. Next come the dogs. Once again, Elmo's on the move--this time to share important tips about respecting the family pet. The final episode examines life on the farm. Viewers will observe youngsters accomplishing daily farm chores as well as Muppet farmers and barn animals punning around. As Elmo bops around his house (simply drawn and "furnished" with color crayon sketches), he chats with Dorothy the pet goldfish, poses questions to Mister Noodle, and tunes in to his friendly television for helpful cartoons presented by "The Baby Channel," "The Dog Channel," and of course, "The Farm Channel." Educational and entertaining for the younger crowd, each segment explores its topic using a variety of creative, quick-paced methods, enhanced by an upbeat soundtrack. (Ages 3 to 6) --Liane Thomas

Sesame Street - Cookie Monster's Best Bites (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: America's favorite slave to baked goods, Cookie Monster, is the star of this very funny collection of comic sketches culled from the insatiable Muppet's tenure on Sesame Street. From the opening scene--in which the wild-eyed Cookie yields to pure impulse and devours a cookbook (rather than wait for a pastry recipe to be fully realized in his kitchen)--the longtime Children's Television Workshop character never fails to entertain with his charming anarchy. Also on the program are classic Sesame Street songs "C Is for Cookie" (and its spinoff, "C Drives Me Crazy," featuring a guest appearance by the Fine Young Cannibals), "If Moon Were a Cookie," and the touching "What Is Friend?" The high point, however, is the gravel-voiced Cookie's scene with actress Annette Bening, who helps him sort out the difference between a "Cookie Here and There." Wonderful stuff for all ages. --Tom Keogh

Sesame Street - Do the Alphabet (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: When Baby Bear must learn his alphabet in one day, Big Bird patiently takes him under his wing in Do the Alphabet. Only "The Method," (a hilarious combination of dance, song, visualization, and group therapy) can help Baby Bear on such short notice. The result is 40 minutes of ABC's Sesame Street style, where vibrant educational cartoons, enthusiastic kids, famous guest stars (here, Billy Joel), and harmonizing Muppets make lasting educational impressions. Children age 2 to 6 will enjoy the upbeat musical numbers dedicated to various letters; a favorite segment features the Boogie Woogie Piggies and their flashy rendition of the alphabet song. Throughout the well-paced show, Big Bird offers just the right blend of coaching and friendship, much like the ace support group leader he's mildly spoofing. Hats off to Sesame Street for helping Baby Bear--and his viewing audience--understand that learning takes time, patience, and a team effort. --Liane Thomas

Sesame Street - Do the Alphabet & 1 2 3 Count With Me (2 in 1 Video) (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Do the Alphabet
When Baby Bear must learn his alphabet in one day, Big Bird patiently takes him under his wing in Do the Alphabet. Only "The Method," (a hilarious combination of dance, song, visualization, and group therapy) can help Baby Bear on such short notice. The result is 40 minutes of ABC's Sesame Street style, where vibrant educational cartoons, enthusiastic kids, famous guest stars (here, Billy Joel), and harmonizing Muppets make lasting educational impressions. Children ages 2 to 6 will enjoy the upbeat musical numbers dedicated to various letters; a favorite segment features the Boogie Woogie Piggies and their flashy rendition of the alphabet song. Throughout the well-paced show, Big Bird offers just the right blend of coaching and friendship, much like the ace support-group leader he's mildly spoofing. Hats off to Sesame Street for helping Baby Bear--and his viewing audience--understand that learning takes time, patience, and a team effort. --Liane Thomas

123 Count With Me
Join Ernie at the Furry Arms Hotel for a musical lesson in just how useful counting can be. When Ernie finds and returns a misplaced key, he uses his knowledge of numbers to return the key to the correct guest. As Ernie begins to learn about the hotel business, he finds many common situations in which counting is essential. Throughout the 30-minute video, Ernie and his friends help children learn to count from 1 to 20 with such songs as the jazzy "That's How the Numbers Go," an original version of the Chorus Line show tune "One," and "Rap Song #11." Favorite Sesame Street characters Elmo and the Count are joined by new characters including Ding the Dinger, a furry fellow with a bell on his head, and Benny, the bellboy that responds to Ding the Dinger's dings. Children as young as 18 months will bounce happily along with the catchy tunes, and 2-year-olds will be inspired to count aloud with Ernie. Kids up to age 5 will hone their counting skills and laugh at the increasingly frustrated Benny as he delivers everything from 1 bucket of ice to 15 stampeding elephants! If you're looking for a fun video that teaches counting skills, here it is. --Tami Horiuchi

Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: The Sesame Street character has fun singing some catchy new songs (you and your toddler just might, too), explaining the difference between light and heavy, having a laugh over pictures and numbers, and sharing the screen with a good-natured Whoopi Goldberg and Julia Roberts. Of the various Elmo videos, this one really does have the choicest material and stands up to repeat viewings--a big plus with little ones. --Tom Keogh

Sesame Street - Telling the Truth (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Elmo and Telly share billing on this half-hour instructional video that gently preaches the virtue of being forthright. The lesson begins as Gina reads "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" to her day-care charges. Elmo dreams himself into the tale, in which no sheep are eaten and the offending wolf ends up tied to a tree. Meanwhile, Telly seems to be the only one who hasn't been or isn't going to the circus. Feeling left out, he tells them his Uncle Tommy (Dennis Quaid) is the ringmaster. Of course, he gets found out, is forgiven, and joins Uncle Tommy, Gina, and the gang in a big song-and-dance number. The irony for adults and older kids is that Uncle Tommy is actually an astronaut, not exactly a low-profile job. But even his uncle gets the call to blast off into space without the benefit of a rocket ship: Telly announces that he loves him even if he's not a circus employee. Stay tuned after the credits for a one-minute message from Quaid. (Ages 2 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Sesame Street - Elmo Says Boo (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: A Halloween treat. Elmo visits fellow Sesame Street Muppet the Count in the latter's castle--and gets scared for a moment. But only a moment, as more friends from the television program show up, and jokes, songs, and surprises abound. Among the clever tunes: "Transylvania 1-2-3-4-5," "We Are All Monsters," and "Frazzle." --Tom Keogh

25th Birthday Musical Celebration (dvd):

Amazon.com video review: Yes, Virginia, there was a Sesame Street before the Age of Elmo. This 1993 collection highlights the role of music in the long-running series from Children's Television Workshop, and reminds us that such Jim Henson creations as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and Ernie and Bert were once part of a true ensemble of Muppet superstars. Nothing against Elmo, of course: kids adore him and he makes enough appearances in this anthology (including the show-stopping "Happy Tappin' with Elmo") to keep today's tykes happy. Also included is Ernie's classic "Rubber Duckie" (really, who doesn't know the words to that?), Oscar's anthemic "I Love Trash," you-know-who's "C Is for Cookie," and Big Bird's Big Finale, a rendition of "Sing" that includes the entire cast. There are 27 tunes in all, and they don't all involve singing puppets: Ladysmith Black Mambazo turns up for one track, and the "Sesame Street Jam Session" includes some actual playing of instruments. --Tom Keogh