Elmo's Travel Songs and Games

Furry red monster Elmo and fairy friend Abby Cadabby are the stars of this Sesame Street program that features songs and games geared toward alleviating boredom in young travelers. Elmo and Abby are going on a trip with Elmo's dad Louie, but Abby experiences some trepidation (accustomed to traveling using magic, she's never ridden in a car), so Elmo entertains her with a barrage of activities incorporating music, sound effects, and imagination games such as searching for shapes. The storyline is complimented by related vignettes featuring real-life kids, animation, and puppet segments. Standout segments here include the “Go Before You Go” bathroom break anthem (Elmo doesn't follow this advice and later urges his father to stop), a rhyming game between Bert and Ernie, the “Are We There Yet?” song (Louie provides beatbox backup), a rendition of “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” with Baby Bear, and an alphabetical city search of Seattle (including iconic landmarks such as the Pike Place Market and the Paramount Theatre). Highly recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)