Product Review

The endearing, red-mopped Muppet is back for a romp through spring, offering preschoolers a potpourri of animated and live-action snippets showcasing seasonal favorites: birds, bugs, and bicycles. Elmo, the host of this vintage Sesame Street program, chats gaily while ushering in familiar guests Prairie Dawn, Ernie and Bert, and Grover during three 15-minute "chapters." Tongue-in-cheek spoofs ("The Loon Ranger," "The Dick Van Bike Show") are blended with general zaniness (think Mr. Noodle) to keep youngsters laughing as they learn. Catering to a child's short attention span, the fast-paced medley includes interactive games, sing-alongs, and engaging film of kids and critters. Especially heartwarming is footage of ducklings hatching and helmet-clad children pedaling without training wheels. In an effort to stay timely, Elmo's World charms its computer-savvy audience with references to the World Wide Web and "You've Got Mail," but there's no need: everyone knows Elmo is timeless. --Lynn Gibson