Elmo's World: Elmo Has Two! Hands, Ears & Feet

Furry red three-year-old Sesame Street alumni Elmo provides educational insights for youngsters in this program that finds the E-man cheerfully exploring body part pairs--“Hands,” “Ears,” and “Feet”--in similarly formatted, roughly 15-minute-long segments. In each episode, Elmo's signature lead-in (“Guess what Elmo is thinking about today?”) is followed by a brief introduction to the topic and a segment featuring live-action kids (in “Hands,” youngsters demonstrate proper hand-washing with soap and water), followed by a visit to Mr. Noodle, a bumbling Chaplin-esque character (portrayed by the late Michael Jeter and Bill Erwin), who attempts some sort of relevant feat (in “Feet,” for instance, trying to hop on one foot) but keeps messing up, much to the delight of giggling youngsters. Counting segments (“How many times does the bongo player's hands hit the drum?”), live-action illustrations (a deaf boy boogies to the vibrating beat of music in “Ears”), and virtual visits from other Sesame Street principals (including Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Telly) help make this a useful, fun introduction to body parts that invites early critical thinking. Recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams)