Elmo's Magic Cookbook

Sesame Street's most famous little monster, Elmo, returns to home video with a cookbook in hand to show kids that cooking isn't just for grown-ups. While rummaging around in an attic, Elmo, Telly Monster and a pair of Sesame Street friends come upon a dust-covered cookbook. When Elmo accidentally rubs a jewel on the front of the book, a genie--appropriately named "Jean"--appears and proceeds to demonstrate that both monsters and kids, with a little help from an adult, can cook up some delicious treats in the kitchen. Since Jean is a genie, she can also mess with space and time and transform matter into energy, which explains the sudden appearance of Chef Emeril Lagasse and Broadway star Heather Headley. Chef Emeril shows the quartet how to make pizza, Heather H. teaches Elmo how to make a Vietnamese food pocket called a summer roll, and Telly Monster is given the task of making ice cream with a hand-crank ice cream maker. Elmo's Magic Cookbook is a witty introduction to the kitchen that may well encourage some kids to take a crack at whipping up a (hopefully) tasty masterpiece. Recommended. Also newly available for $9.98: Elmo's World: Birthdays, Games & More! Aud: E, I, P. (P. Van Vleck)