Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo Reviews

• Elmo fanatics rejoice!

  
  By A244D7MGOADGS5 on 2000-11-03
  This is one of my favorite Elmo videos! I know, I got it for my now 17 month old daughter a few months ago, but it's one I can either crash in the recliner to watch with her, or leave her to watch it while I do dishes, straighten up, etc. My daughter loves anything musical, and this has fun, catchy little ditties from beginning to end! We rotate this one with several other Elmo videos--for mom and dad's benefit, not the little one's! (she could watch it every day!) If you have a little Elmo fan in the house, you MUST own this video!
  
  

• Wonderful but doesn't take advantage of the DVD format

  
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2002-01-02
  It would have been nice if CTW had put more than one 30 min video onto the DVD version at least, like they do with Bear in the Big Blue House DVDs, where they let you play one or all three as you choose. No separate sing-along-songs section either. I would expect more from the DVD version. Barney DVDs too are so feature filled! Other than that, its wonderful -- the segments are tied together by Elmo needing an entry for an art show, and are flashbacks tied to various pictures he has drawn. There are many really nice songs on it -- " One fine face " sung with Ernie, Happy Tappin with Elmo, Five Jive, Elmo's song and so on. They are so catchy and fun, we can't stop dancing/playing along with the songs. The DVD version is great for an instant encore on our favorite segments :-) If your child is timid, you might want to watch the especially the section with Julia Roberts in it with baby on your lap the first few times, since Elmo and Julia "scare" each other.
  
  

• Great Elmo Video

  
  By on 2000-04-18
  We have 5 Elmo tapes in our collection and my 22-mo son always asks to watch this Elmo tape after dinner. The songs and images from this video are entertaining and keep his attention very well. We sometimes even dance together to the songs in the video. It's a lot of fun for my son and us. My only complaint is that it's not available in DVD format. It would save me from rewinding the tape, night after night.
  
  

• Great 1/2 hour of entertainment.

  
  By on 2002-01-03
  My now 3 year old son has loved this video from the time he was 6 months old, he still loves it. It has been watched SO MANY times. My second born child (1)can't seem to get enough of the tape either. I have bought many other Elmo tapes and none of them ever get as much attention as this one has gotten. It contains many songs, lots of them educational. One fine face, Five, Three, etc. These songs are not only catchy tunes but they're also very educational. I highly recommend this video.
  
  

• Wonderful but doesn't take advantage of the DVD format

  
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2002-01-03
  It would have been nice if CTW had put more than one 30 min video onto the DVD version at least, like they do with Bear in the Big Blue House DVDs, where they let you play one or all three as you choose. No separate sing-along-songs section either. I would expect more from the DVD version. Barney DVDs too are so feature filled! Other than that, its wonderful -- the segments are tied together by Elmo needing an entry for an art show, and are flashbacks tied to various pictures he has drawn. There are many really nice songs on it -- " One fine face " sung with Ernie, Happy Tappin with Elmo, Five Jive, Elmo's song and so on. They are so catchy and fun, we can't stop dancing/playing along with the songs. The DVD version is great for an instant encore on our favorite segments :-) If your child is timid, you might want to watch the especially the section with Julia Roberts in it with baby on your lap the first few times, since Elmo and Julia "scare" each other.
  
  
• Perfect Length DVD
  By AKHHB1TO6THHF on 2003-03-09
  My 22 month old twin girls LOVE this DVD. They love anything with Elmo, though. I like it because it is not really long like so many other toddler videos. I limit their TV/video watching to 1 hour the whole day, and this is usually half of that hour because it is a great video for them to watch while I'm getting dinner on. It is a little educational (numbers, parts of face, thinking of other first, heavy & light, being afraid, hair & fur, imagination, etc...), though I think anything Sesame Street is good material. One of my girls was afraid of Telly the first 5 times they watched it (I think because of his voice), but she gets afraid of weird things on videos. Some of the things in the Baby Einstein videos scared her, but she is over it now. :) My girls love to tap dance like Elmo now!! It is the cutest thing! I highly recommend this DVD to anyone with a toddler who loves Elmo, as Elmo is in the entire DVD!!
  
  
• Good video for a one-year-old
  By on 1999-06-25
  My one-year-old loves to watch Elmo on Sesame St. He is equally enthralled with this tape. We have watched it over and over. The good news is that it is entertaining for adults also. I recommend this video for even the youngest of children as the music is peppy and the characters are charming. Two thumbs up from this mom!
  
  
• Great music -- Great Elmo
  By ASUQZSIV476ID on 1999-12-03
  My 19-month-old daughter can't get enough, and as a Sesame Street fan from way back, neither can I. The songs make her dance, she has learned the parts of her face, and since we always watch it together, it's perfect for our together-time. It's definitely one of our favorites!
  
  
• Now HEAR THIS-Best of Elmo DVD Rocks !!
  By A2VGBROL8FDB0T on 2002-08-12
  My title is in response ...against the DVD on its lack of audio quality. Audio quality?!? I have an 18th month old who LOVES Elmo, and of course, this video is one of her favorites. And mine too-for several reasons. I actually like the fact it is "short and sweet" (in fact, I am purchasing Favorite Song DVD for that exact reason)-there are times when I don't want her or us to sit in front of the TV (or computer monitor as in our case) for 45-50 mins. Sometimes, we are both in the mood for a concise, entertaining, educational, fun video-and that exactly what it delivers. I have never noticed the poor audio I have to admit. Plus, to me, the main reason I pay an extra $$ for a Sesame Street DVD (at Target, etc) is because I don't have to constantly rewind it. I don't expect SONY to make drastic improvements. Sesame Street was always about quality of material, not cutting edge technology. Also, DVDs have a much higher resale value which is another reason to buy it. ... Let your kids decide if they like it-I'm pretty sure they will!
  
  
• I am working on my 3rd copy!
  By AAYNQP89R0G2S on 2000-02-01
  I brought this tape when my son just turned 11 months, so that he could have something to wind down and get his energy out before his bedtime. Well, like the title says - I am on my 3rd tape because we've played Elmo so many times. I like this tape because my son couldn't grasp what was going on at first - only watching 10 minutes of it total but now he's 13 months and he will go and get the tape and try to put it in the VCR. His first phrase was "Elmo Five" from the song "Five" on the tape. He also learned where his nose and eyes were from the Ernie song. I recommend this tape to any Elmo lover!
  
  
• Now HEAR THIS-Best of Elmo DVD Rocks !!!!
  By A2VGBROL8FDB0T on 2002-08-12
  My title is in response to the several criticisms lodged against the DVD on its lack of audio quality. Audio quality?!? I have an 18th month old who LOVES Elmo, and of course, this video is one of her favorites. And mine too-for several reasons. I actually like the fact it is "short and sweet" (in fact, I am purchasing Favorite Song DVD for that exact reason)-there are times when I don't want her or us to sit in front of the TV (or computer monitor as in our case) for 45-50 mins. Sometimes, we are both in the mood for a concise, entertaining, educational, fun video-and that exactly what it delivers. I have never noticed the poor audio I have to admit. Plus, to me, the main reason I pay an extra $$$ for a Sesame Street DVD (at Target, etc) is because I don't have to constantly rewind it. I don't expect SONY to make drastic improvements. Sesame Street was always about quality of material, not cutting edge technology. Also, DVDs have a much higher resale value which is another reason to buy it. I have to say that I am somewhat upset by all of the critics. Let your kids decide if they like it-I'm pretty sure they will!
  
  
• The Best of Elmo on DVD
  By A238FW0ADIY5O8 on 2002-10-06
  I originally purchased The Best of Elmo on VHS in 1994 when my son was three years old. I have recently rediscovered my appreciation for this wonderfully amusing story on DVD through the eyes of my 3 year-old daughter. The Best of Elmo has a variety of songs, dance numbers, and short comedy skits from Sesame Street featuring the lovable character, Elmo. I like this DVD because it is entertaining for preschoolers, and it teaches valuable lessons about sharing and diversity. The theme to the video is Elmo taking his drawings to the "Monster Art Show." Each drawing that Elmo created tells a story. When Elmo shows one of his drawings, the video proceeds into another skit or musical number.

  Some songs include:
  *One Fine Face: Elmo and Ernie sing about their facial features. This is a great way for toddlers to learn names for parts of their face.
  *Happy Tappin' with Elmo: This is a cute number where Elmo wears little tap shoes and dances down a staircase.
  *Five Jive with Elmo Hammer: This song features Elmo as a rapper with back up singers. He wears baggy pants, and sunglasses and sings about the number five.
  *Elmo's Song: This is the original song that inspired the theme song for the skit "Elmo's World". Elmo plays the piano and sings his "theme song" with Big Bird and Snuffy.

  Comedy Skits with Celebrity Guest Stars:
  There is a comedy skit with Elmo and Julia Roberts. Elmo is trying to scare Julia because he is a "monster". However, Julia ends up frightening Elmo! The second celebrity skit features Whoopi Goldberg and Elmo. Elmo tells Whoopi that her skin is a pretty brown, and she explains the differences between, skin, hair, and fur. This is a very educational lesson to young children that is easy for them to comprehend.

  My daughter really enjoys watching this DVD. I would definitely recommend this DVD for toddlers.
  
  

• Watch this on a small TV.
  By A3TX87LQTRC4U8 on 2005-03-10
  The content of this DVD keeps my 14 month old baby occupied and entertained. If thats the end of it, then this title definitely deserves 5 stars. But like many parents, I like to watch the baby videos TOGETHER with my daughter. For me, however, this DVD makes me want to leave the room when its on. Other reviewers have already said that this DVD is definitely no better than a videocassette. I'd like to add that there are no special features aside from a static picture slideshow of additional Sesame Street titles and chapter selection. The higher digital fidelity is also very poorly executed. The sound is nearly mono and is almost painful to listen to if you have a nicer TV. The picture is grainy and does not look any better than on a 13in TV from the 1980's. I know that the Elmo clips are classics dating back a few years, but it doesn't take much nowadays to remaster older clips.
  
  I hate the idea that the sesame street franchise is expecting kids not to notice these deficiencies. For my daughter's sake, I hope she doesn't.
  
  
• Great Material, HORRIBLE Audio
  By on 2002-03-19
  I've purchased this video three times: First on VHS, then again on VHS because my toddler wore it out. She absolutely loves it! Then, I bought it on DVD.

  What a mistake. The audio transfer is horrible--it's terribly distorted from start to finish. Even my tin-eared aunt said, "What's wrong with the sound?" I tried calling the toll-free number they have listed on the DVD packaging to see if they know anything about this. The ... person I spoke with said that my inquiry was a "technical question" and had nothing to do with a defective disk. I was shuffled off to another phone number that ultimately was a dead end.

  Evidently, quality control isn't much of an issue to Sony and Sesame Street, and it certainly takes a back seat to profit. So while the material on this video is great for toddlers and Elmo fans, stick with the VHS version.
  
  

• Short but fun
  By A36ZVC4IMFK4KY on 2003-11-29
  When I bought this DVD and played it the first time for my (almost) 2-year old son, I was quite disappointed. You see, he is a Teletubbies fan, and all his Teletubby DVDs are almost 2 hours long. This DVD ended in a measly 30 minutes (I know, I should have read the label). Also, the DVD seemed to have nothing but songs--very unlike, you know, ... But my son had an entirely unexpected reaction to the DVD. He simply adored it (starting from his second viewing--didn't really care too much for it on the first viewing). Now our entirely family loves this disc, including grandma and grandpa. The songs are actually good fun. Our favorites are:
  1) Three
  2) Heavy and Light
  3) Imagination
  4) Elmo's song
  5) Outdoor Sounds (?)

  Some of the non-musical conversations are good too. The sketches with Julia Roberts (someone who is afraid), and with Whoopi Goldberg (liking your own skin) are the only ones I can remember at this point.

  I would have given this all five stars, but my initial reaction about the length of the DVD has tainted my rating.
  
  

• Elmo is the best!
  By A3SKNT7R5FC7CL on 2006-05-15
  This is the absolute best Elmo video ever. My one year old son loves it and has to watch it every night before bedtime. I own 8 other Elmo DVD's and this one is by far his favorite. He enjoys the Elmo's World DVDs, but he loses interest during the Mr. Noodle or the TV/cartoon segments. This video doesn't have those sections (Elmo is in every scene) and has wonderfully catchy songs that I know all the words to. If your child loves Elmo, then this is the video to get.
  
  
• The BEST DVD for Toddlers by FAR!!
  By A1PJQPRNJIJGWF on 2006-07-27
  My 20 month old daughter absolutely LOVES this DVD. This is the ONLY DVD that she will watch for the entire length of it! I have even restarted it with her still in her "Elmo trance" and she still didn't budge! This has been her best Easter present! She has since received three Elmo's World DVDs that she likes, but they still do not compare to how much she LOVES this one. With the Elmo's World DVDs, she gets bored when they show Mr. Noodle and the other "real people" clips. Maybe those are more interesting for older kids, but for my daughter, she just isn't interested.
  
  
• Hooray for Elmo!
  By AMEZJVXMSEPY0 on 1999-12-31
  Who can not love this cuddly little monster? My son loved Elmo from when he was 15 months old to when he was about 2 and a half. This video was his favorite and very watchable by adults as well. Elmo gets into some wild stuff. We still have this video and still love Elmo, but it is rarely watched now that my son is five.
  
  
• It's Elmo's World, We're Just Passing Thru...
  By AB2AQMK9PCWWX on 2002-11-25
  ...it's great for toddlers to teens, to parents, and to grand parents, this showcase of Elmo's many, many talents. See, all he wants is somebody to recommend which of his many crayon pictures he should exhibit for the Monster Art Show, but Maria and other Sesame denizens love them so much that Elmo gives them away. On the way we see Elmo as the great tapdancer, he imagines himself to be, we see Elmo trying to scare Julia Roberts, who simply views him as cute and funny when he tries to scare her (he tells us folk watching that scaring people is what monsters are genetically programmed to do), we see Elmo and two background singers do a rap number, "Yo Five, No Jive", in which Elmo feels the beat and it's "Elmo Time"...we get to hear Elmo and Telly sing the blues. Finally, Elmo has only one choice for the Monster Art Show...one of the artist at the piano introducing his self penned tune, "Elmo's Song"....and alas, he gives that away when a fellow beeping monster is distraught because he does not have an Elmo masterpiece of his own. Oh, what will he do, now!?! I won't give away what happens next, but what I can say is that this is a charming piece of Elmomania that your little one will play over and over. Trust me, I speak from experience.
  
  
• Toddler's Favorite
  By A3RX5RMRAJ8Z5B on 2005-09-18
  My daycare kids LOVE this video. Elmo tap dancing. Elmo playing the paino. and many more. I'm a home daycare provider. Over the yrs I have collected over 100 kids videos. Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo seems to entertain my daycare kids ages 14 months to 5 yrs greatly. I'd say it's in the top 10 favorite videos of my daycare kids.
  
  
  
• A winner
  By on 1999-11-24
  A sure-fire hit with our 17 month old son, there's no end in sight to the repeat viewings. Nor any end in sight to his delight in watching every segment. It gets four stars rather than five only because it's a little too short
  
  
• Just OK
  By A27K1NKWFJDMD8 on 2005-02-02
  While the segments are cute and touch on great topics like accepting people who are different, I have 2 complaints about this DVD:
  
  1. The run time. 30 minutes? Please. No DVD should be 30 minutes, especially when Sesame Street has such a large catalog to choose from. They could easily make these longer, but they want to make you buy more DVDs.
  
  2. Since this is a "Best Of" video, it relies heavily on celebrity guest appearances by people such as Julia Roberts and Whoopi Goldberg. One problem - little kids don't know who the celebrities are, so they're not impressed. The "Best" segments should be the ones that are the most fun and imaginative, not the ones where Elmo just sits there talking to someone that a kid could care less about.
  
  
• Elmo doesn't get better than this!
  By A3UGRKPYZDXZOQ on 2005-03-28
  NO DOUBT ABOUT IT...This happens to be the very best Elmo DVD on the market. If your child is like mine (I have an almost 2 year old boy) who doesn't like all the talk of Elmos's regular TV episodes but likes to hear Elmo sing and dance more than talk, then this is the DVD for your child too. This DVD is jam packed with at least 10 back to back songs by Elmo with special guest appearances from Julia Roberts, Whoopie Goldberg, etc. It gets my son through a meal without him screaming to get out of his highchair so its well worth any amount of money!
  
  
• Uniquely Elmo, Adorably Entertaining
  By A3MYF59QZOAN67 on 2004-03-11
  My daughter has become a big fan of Elmo via 'Elmo's World' on Sesame Street, so I thought she might enjoy this DVD. Turns out, we all do! The story revolves around Elmo attempting to figure out which of his treasured drawings should be in the Monster Art Show. To help him decide, he stops and asks friends along the way on Sesame Street for their opinion, which segues into the review of his pictures, each of which represents a unique experience of Elmo's (from tap dancing to writing a song, to hanging out with famous Hollywood-types). It really is a clever way to get a lot of 'Elmo' (singing, dancing, and just being 'Elmo') into a relatively short period of time (the DVD runs about 30 minutes). Really adorable.
  
  
• It's just entertainment.
  By A4DLWEZNWGW6Z on 2004-08-01
  As a concerned parent, I do not want my 3 year-old and 15 month- old watching more than an hour of TV. When they do watch TV, I want it to be somewhat educational. "The Best of Elmo" is cute, fun, and fairly brief, however it does not teach enough. The Elmo's World DVD's are alot more informative, and I prefer them even if they are a little long. Worst of all my three-year old tries dancing on the stairs just like Elmo in the "Happy Tapping" segment. There are better Elmo DVD's than this.
  
  
• Daughter can't get enough of this!
  By A2MO7B50WY61H5 on 2004-10-28
  Music and dancing - can't get much better than that for my 15-month old daughter. She has loved this since she was about 4 months old, and doesn't show any signs of wavering. I, like many of you, do not feel that every item in my child's life has to be simply about ABCs and 123s. I want my daughter to know that life and learning should be fun. She loves to dance, and dancing certainly helps her with movement and balance (another critical area of development for a young one.) Besides, at this point in her life, isn't everything learning? A definite must have in my book!
  
  
• Attention Elmo Fans
  By A3AEYDNYCWH2IZ on 2006-03-10
  This DVD is a HUGE hit in my daycare. The babies and toddlers LOVE it. A very wise investment.
  
  
• One video for kids that I don't mind watching over and over
  By AX9N6OC6KB0MM on 2006-03-19
  With its catchy songs with clever lyrics, this is one DVD I actually enjoy watching with my kids. And since this DVD is my 18 month old's favorite, I watch it a lot! It is the best Sesame Street DVD I have found.
  
  
• "More Melmo!"
  By on 1999-11-10
  That's the cheer we hear when this video is over. "The Best of Elmo" is entertaining not only for our 2-year old, but my husband and I really enjoy watching it with her.
  
  
• A Must Have Video!
  By on 2000-08-11
  I think the best part about this video is that is isn't annoying for parents to watch -- unless of course it drives you nuts to be singing the little songs to yourself at work or while walking down the street! They certainly are catchy!

  Seriously, my 17-month old just loves this video and it provides me enough time to balance the checkbook, or accomplish other tasks without being interrupted.
  
  

• Elmo's World - Babies, Dogs & More
• Sesame Street - Kids' Favorite Songs
• Sesame Street - 123 Count With Me
• Elmo's World - Wake up with Elmo!
• Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time