Sesame Street Playground

Various artists
Putumayo Kids, $16.

A Sesame Street Muppet sings to kids in Delhi, India.

Photograph: Jennifer Rupnik

Every day, kids in Brazil, France, India, Palestine and elsewhere learn the alphabet by singing along with Big Bird, or explore life beyond the family home thanks to Elmo’s rendition of “People in Your Neighborhood.” Now, NYC tots can enjoy Sesame Street’s global appeal with the release of this delightful multilingual collection of songs from foreign productions.

Containing a 13-track CD and a DVD of five Muppet music videos, the package features a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of classic Sesame Street songs, including variations on the show’s unforgettable theme (e.g., Holland’s “Sesamstraat”).

The non-English adaptations of familiar songs will certainly raise a smile (we predict the Chinese-language “Rubber Duckie” will turn up on many college-radio esoterica shows). More fascinating is the way the program’s identity translates in other cultures. The Russian track is a gently socialist ode to “caretakers” (civic workers), sung by street cleaners. South Africa’s “Pollution Song” contains the pleasing lyric “So recycle all your plastic / We can make our world fantastic!”

The songwriting and musicianship are uniformly stellar—a couple of tracks succeed so well as pop songs that it’s jarring when a puppet’s voice comes barging in. The project also makes good on its promise to deliver positive messages to children that aren’t corny, condescending or overly preachy. Sesame Street Playground works on so many levels, it’s the kind of cultural lesson that doesn’t feel like one. (On sale Sept 30.)