Elmo's Music Magic

This latest addition to the Sesame Street series boasts a cute premise. Taking books back to the library, Abby Cadabby forgets her magical fairy wand, which little red monster best pal Elmo picks up and waves around—causing the entire neighborhood to do everything in rhyming bursts of song. It's fun at first—from the café to the laundromat—but eventually the gang is worn out from the singing spell and need Abby to set things right. Sprinkled throughout the story are vignettes demonstrating low and high pitch, the alphabet song, as well as a tune by Bert and Ernie about soft v. loud, and segments featuring John Legend, Garth Brooks, Diana Krall, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland, plus a silly Elmo-centric number by Adam Sandler. Also including “Come Back Cookie” with the Cookie Monster, and “One Small Voice” with Elmo (who—for a near-four-year-old—seems to be inappropriately out after dark), bonus features include a sing-along segment, a “What I Am” music video featuring will.i.am, and coloring pages. Recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams-Wood)