Sesame Road

This fun collection addresses topics such as the first day of school, having a baby brother, and the letter "L."

Artist: Sesame Street
Genre: Children's Music Label: Sony Wonder Parental Advisory: No Edited Version Available: No Release Date: 10/24/1995

Common Sense Note

One of the best things about Sesame Street is that it focuses meaningfully and humorously on simple things such as letters, words, and physical characteristics. Accordingly, this collection has funny songs about the word "no," the letters "B" and "Z," and the difference between wet and dry. You and your preschooler can sing along with Elmo to get excited about the first day of school, or sing about healthy food with that unlikely proponent of nutrition, Cookie Monster.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Andy Davis

The album's cover is priceless--although a little misleading. Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo are walking in a line in a cross-walk--just like John, Paul, George, and Ringo on the Abbey Road cover. But this isn't just a Beatles parody. Sure, the album starts off with "Letter B" (in the style of "Let It Be"), and it concludes with Cookie Monster singing "Hey Food" ("Hey Jude"), but there are take-offs of many other artists and styles, too.

1980s stars Billy Idol and Cindy Lauper get the Muppet treatment on "Rebel L" and "Grouch Girls Don't Want to Have Fun," and Elmo steals a page from Chuck Berry's playbook with "Off to School."

Each song includes a lesson, ranging from practicing certain sounds to stressing good nutrition. There's even a great zydeco song that teaches kids different ways musical textures can be created with their voices. Best of all, the lessons are cloaked in parodies that are so goofy and irreverent, kids don't realize they're learning.

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