Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Country Songs (NR, 2007)

KIDS' FAVORITE COUNTRY SONGS features Sesame Street stalwart Elmo (voiced by Kevin Clash) learning all about country music during a visit from his nearly identical-looking cousin Elmer (Matt Vogel). As Elmer teaches Elmo what makes country music special -- namely, the presence of country instruments, great stories, and lots of emotion -- visiting country superstars from Lee Ann Womack to the late Johnny Cash help drive the points home. There's lots of toe-tapping, upbeat music spanning a variety of country music offshoots, from zydeco to the blues.

Along with the Muppets and live actors, the DVD makes creative use of animated shorts, accompanying songs such as "Froggy Went a'Courtin." Songs like "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "O Susanna" should be familiar to young children, and if they're not tunes in the family repertoire already, this DVD is a fun way to teach them.

A few lines of dialogue are aimed at adults, but the action will appeal most to 2- to 4-year-olds who love music -- any kind of music. The special features include additional appearances by Garth Brooks, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill who sing "Take a Turn." (Some guest appearances are plucked from Sesame Street archives).

Studio: Sesame Workshop
Director: Kevin Clash
Cast: Kevin Clash, Lee Ann Womack, Matt Vogel
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 60 minutes
Theatrical release: June 5, 2007
DVD release: June 5, 2007
MPAA Rating: NR