Customer Reviews

Sesame Street - Learning to Share

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My 22 month old loves this video! She loves Elmo & Katie Couric, and she loves dancing to "So Much Better". She quickly learned "Jack & Jill" and about "The Three Little Pigs". The only bad thing about the video is that it taught her to say "No" even more; she even says "Elmo says no!". And the video taught her the word "MINE". When Zoe asks Elmo if he would share his train with her, Elmo says "No! Elmo says no! This train is mine, mine. MINE!" So when we watch this video, I mute this section.

I have many Sesame St videos from the great (123 Count With Me, Bert and Ernie's Word Play) to the not so great (Get Up and Dance), but I absolutely HATE this one!

Firstly the "sharing" message is delivered in a heavy way with very few songs to liven it up. Then the newsreader/interviewer format used doesn't work at all - it is just incredibly boring. Even the introduction of familiar characters like Jack and Jill and the Three Little Pigs cannot save this dud.

I think it may even teach children to be more selfish and "MINE" oriented than they were before they watched it. Elmo constantly talks about Elmo's train, and it's clear that he absolutely hates to share. At the end he only agrees to share due to purely selfish reasons (otherwise Zoe won't play with him anymore), and he tries to share as little as possible (as little as Zoe will let him get away with).

This DVD portrays sharing as a strict case of quid pro quo - I'll give you a cookie, but ONLY IF you give me half your glass of milk. Never mind that I have lots of cookies (more than I can eat). I think sharing should be portrayed as motivated by friendship, affection and caring, not only selfish "what's in it for me?" thinking.

My 3-year-old finds it impossible to share trains, which must be a common problem, as the video opens to Elmo and "Elmo's Train." Although not as good as "Big Bird Gets Lost," I think this video has value in a preschooler's collection. The message is clear: it's boring to play by yourself, but nobody wants to play with someone who doesn't treat them with respect. Sharing strategies like playing different parts of a game, taking equal turns, putting different games or toys together, and splitting things into parts are outlined by Elmo, Zoe, Big Bird and the Grouches in the main plot.

Katie Couric (who is not an actress - bear with her) cuts in occasionally as a newscaster for "Cooperation Today" solving conundrums like how Jack & Jill can get up the hill, and how the 3 little pigs can keep themselves safe by helping them work together. A few vintage clips "What is Friend?" with Cookie Monster, and "Two Heads are Better than One" are included. Unfortunately, the rest of the music on this tape is not up to Sesame Street standards. Joe Raposo's "Share" by Elmo, Zoe, and Big Bird isn't too bad - but the Elmo's Train song is annoying, and the Cooperation Song is unpleasantly saccharin.

That being said, my 3 year old preschooler was riveted to his seat, and cried for me to rewind it when it was over. He just started school, and is struggling with this issue - the video seemed to help him collect his thoughts. Again, as in "Big Bird Gets Lost," we had a great discussion afterwards. I'd definitely recommend this to parents whose kids are having a tough time learning to play.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGE OF SELFISHMESS IS PUT TO THE TEST WHEN ELMO DOESN'T WANT TO SHARE HIS BELOVED TRAIN. THE REPETITION OF HIS DELIGHT IN SINGING ABOUT HIS MOST PRIZED POSSESSION IS EASY FOR VIEWERS, AS YOUNG AS TWO, TO RELATE TO HIS INABILIY TO SHARE WITH ZOE. ELMO WEIGHS THE PRO'S AND CON'S OF HIS BEHAVIOR AND AGREES TO SHARE BUT NOT WITHOUT MEETING A FEW SNAGS ALONG THE WAY. ADDING TO THE CHAOS ARE OTHER CHILDREN'S STORYBOOK CHARACTERS WHOSE SIMPLE STORY LINES ARE EASY TO FOLLOW. KATIE COURIC IS CHARMING AS THE PROBLEM-SOLVING REPORTER... AND AS ALWAYS YES THERE'S BIG BIRD IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL.

Before watching this video, my son (20 months old) would not share with his sister or cousins. After watching this video, I have more problems. Now my son grabs everything and says MINE!!!! He never said this before watching this video. He does not understand that this is the behavior you do not want to do. He says MINE regarding anything and everything he touches.

My two year old daughter would watch this twice a day if we let her. Fortunately we don't mind listening to it. The message is good, the story is cute & the songs are catchy. We find ourselves walking around the house humming, "this is Elmo's train, chugga-chugga whoo whoo!" Since we won't let her watch TV all day, now my daughter want to play with trains.

This video is fun for kid's and parents, and presents a very realistic view of how hard it can be for kids to share. It's very appropriate for young children, with lots of activity, music, and humor!

my two year old daughter does enjoy this video, and requests to watch it often, however, i would have liked it to be more of a fictional video about sharing rather than commentary and direction from katie couric.

PLEASE LOOK AT THE DISK UNDER THE LIGHT BEFORE PUTTING ON THE WEB SITE FOR SELLING AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME ONE TO THE SHRINK WRAP ON THE ITEM SPECIAL DVD'S AND VIDEOS AND SOFTWARE.

The other reviewers are correct that Elmo says "NO" and "MINE", it's not perfect, but our kids aren't perfect, nor are their friends, and I figure that my 2 year old son will/already has been in these kinds of situations, and I like having it where he can watch it with me and I can say "thats not nice, Zoe is sad Elmo isn't sharing his train!" I like how they are using their words "Now they are all happy playing together"

And I like how the nursery rhymes tie into the story with Katie's bit, gives me a good platform on how I'd talk about those nursery rhymes in the future! Very creative and cute! (I could've done without it though and most of the other bits to make it shorter... 43 minutes is long... I would've liked 20-30 minutes - maybe as extras?!)

My son loves this movie, he laughs and giggles at all the train scenes. He knows Elmo by name, so I like that he is a main character but also includes other puppets from sesame street! Songs are cute and catchy.

There's only like 01:15 of Elmo and Zoe going back and forth over the train (no/please youll break it/no i wont kind of banter) then this part of the movie:

I know its your train elmo but i wont hurt it ill only play with it for a minute Ill give it back i promise -Zoe
no zoe -Elmo
oh can i just give it one lil push -Zoe
no -Elmo
can i touch it with just one finger -Zoe
no -Elmo
can i even look it at -Zoe
no no no no its elmos train *in song* "this is elmos train not a kite or a plane elmos very best favorite elmo cannot explain elmo say it again and again and again this is elmo train this is elmos train" -Elmo
can i play with just one car from the train you'll have all the rest of it maybe just the engine -Zoe
the engine -Elmo
ya ya -Zoe
zoe thats the best part that makes the whole train run -Elmo
maybe i could play with just the caboose -Zoe
the caboose thats the cutest one elmo has to do the caboose -Elmo
well maybe i could wear the hat -Zoe
no elmo the engineer zoe the engineer has to wear the hat -Elmo
elmo you and i play together everyday you're good at sharing toys you know you play with my toys and i play with your toys -Zoe
but this is different elmo doesn't let anyone play with this train but elmo -Elmo
elmo can i please even just do the whoo whoos i love doing the whoo whoos im great at doing whoo whoos -Zoe
you you do the whoo whoo but how can elmo drive the train an not make the whoo whoo the engineer always does the whoo whoos -Elmo
elmo im going home -Zoe
*in a think cloud* -Elmo
elmo doesn't know what to do if elmo doesn't share his train then elmo will have his train all to himself but that means elmo will have to play all alone and will be very lonely but elmo loves playing wit zoe but if does shares his train then elmo get to play with this best friend zoe and playing with zoe is always lots of fun and then when zoe goes home for dinner the train will still belong to elmo
*out of the think cloud* -Elmo
zoe wait -Elmo
what is it -Zoe
elmo was thinking maybe elmo can share yea elmo will do the chugga chugga and zoe can do her favorite whoo whoo -Elmo
you mean it i can do the whoo whoo -Zoe
yea -Elmo
yeaaa all right -Zoe
and you can wear the hat too -Elmo
the hat too wow -Zoe
here you go zoe -Elmo
whoo whoo -Zoe
yea this is great -Elmo


The so much better song (end of movie):
"At first Elmo didn't want to share." -Elmo
"Which made me feel you didn't care, but you gave me something to do." -Zoe
"Aww shucks" -Elmo
"I wore the hat and went Whoo Whoo! And that was so much better." -Zoe
"Yes that was so much better." -Elmo
"When we worked together it was such a lot of fun" -together

There's a scene in the beginning where an adult is inside and thinks elmo and zoe are cute playing together while they're still going back and forth (which i thought was hilarious) and to me, shows that the kids could've had an adult help but they worked out their problem without her, which is great for problem solving and no tattle-tailing (which isn't bad/annoying with most kids and holds no stigma in my opinion).

There is another scene where Zoe says "My turn" and elmo gives her a short turn and Zoe points it out and explains kind of like in the scene I detailed above. If my son worked out his thoughts/feelings/problem as well as Zoe or Elmo I'd be very proud! Seriously. I think this movie showcases problem solving and sharing VERY well. This has earned a spot in our regular rotation.