| Category | Details |
| Release Date | May 13, 2008 |
| Theatrical Release | May 3, 2008 (Kidtoon Films Matinee) |
| Produced By | Genius Entertainment |
| Format | DVD (Region 1) |
| Main Plot | Elmo, Telly, and Abby imagine life as dinosaurs |
| Elmo's World Segment | "Dinosaurs" (Featuring Mr. Noodle as a Paleontologist) |
| Musical Highlight | "If Elmo Had a Dinosaur" (Clay Animation) |
| Street Story Origin | Excerpt from Episode 4113 |
| Bonus Feature | "Journey to Ernie: Dinosaurs" |
| Cast: Elmo | Kevin Clash |
| Cast: Telly | Martin P. Robinson |
| Cast: Abby Cadabby | Leslie Carrara-Rudolph |
| Special Guest Role | Joey Mazzarino as The Dinosaur Fairy |
| Fairy Tech Support | Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Information Operator) |
| Human Cast | Sonia Manzano (Maria), Alan Muraoka (Alan), Roscoe Orman (Gordon) |
| Paleontology Lesson | Distinction between Fossils, Bones, and Footprints |
| Dinosaur Species | T-Rex, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus |
| Educational Focus | Vocabulary (Extinct, Herbivore), Size Comparison, Imagination |
| Catalogue No. | SS00124 |
| ASIN | B0013D8L9U |
Facts
The Limited Theatrical Experiment.
Thanks to Kidtoon Films, this production had a rare theatrical run in May 2008 across 70 U.S. theaters. It was like a "weekend matinee" to see if parents would pay for proper sound and to watch stuff that was mostly made for home DVD.
The "Dinosaur Fairy" Character Debut.
Joey Mazzarino played a special "Dinosaur Fairy" character made just for the show. This Muppet kicked off the story by using magic to turn Elmo, Telly and Abby into dinosaurs to teach scientific hypotheses (i.e. asking "What if?").
Hey, have you seen the clay animation of "If Elmo Had a Dinosaur"?
The special had a special clay animation bit in it. They used a technique called "replacement animation" where they swapped out multiple physical clay models to create movement, which gave the Muppets a textural contrast.
Check out Abby Cadabby's early CGI-to-Muppet transition.
Released just two years after her 2006 debut, this special was one of the first long-form videos to feature Abby Cadabby. It made her "magic" seem like a real educational tool, not just a plot device.
"Journey to Ernie: Dinosaurs" Bonus Logic.
This bit (from 2002–2005) gave us a visual search curriculum. The kids had to spot "Big Bird-saurus" hidden in prehistoric environments, teaching them pattern recognition and camouflage.
The "Fairy Information Operator" Role.
So, Stephanie D'Abruzzo played this character, right, and she was like a funny "Siri-like" directory. It was a way of showing kids how to find reliable info when they had scientific questions.
Here's a taster of Episode 4113, Street Story.
They reused the "Telly the Dinosaur" storyline from Season 38. This saved money on production, while making sure the DVD had the most scientifically accurate "dinosaur behaviour" footage available in the Sesame Workshop's archives.
Mr. Noodle's Paleontology Physicality.
Bill Irwin (Mr. Noodle) appears in the Elmo's World segment. He shows the "wrong" way to dig for fossils, using clowning to show how careful and patient you have to be in real-world archaeological work.
The "Herbivore vs. Carnivore" Dietary Lesson.
As the main trio change, the script brings in the idea of different types of diets. It avoids complicated biological words and uses "plant-eaters" and "meat-eaters" to categorise different species.
Bipedal vs. Quadrupedal Puppetry.
The special features include the Muppets trying to walk like dinosaurs. This meant that the puppeteers had to move their arms around to make it look like the animals had "heavy" tails and different body parts, and to teach the kids about how animals move.
Parent's Guide
Elmo looks at the differences between prehistoric creatures in a dinosaur episode. This segment is a masterclass in STEM for preschoolers. It encourages kids to compare sizes and diets. The show gets people interested in science by looking at how ancient animals lived. This helps toddlers get ready for more complex biology lessons. Try using these examples to get your child interested in nature.
A claymation song looks at responsibility and pet care in a playful way. Elmo thinks about what it would be like to have a dinosaur as a friend. This is a great example of social and emotional learning. It helps kids think about the logistics of looking after a large animal. So, let's use this story to chat about what it means to own a pet.
The Journey to Ernie bonus feature is like a high-stakes visual tracking exercise. Kids help Elmo find Ernie, who's been hiding in a prehistoric landscape. This helps you to focus and concentrate. This type of interactive media for kids is great for helping them develop search and find logic. It helps with early literacy and pattern recognition in a relaxed setting.
Abby Cadabby and her friends imagine becoming dinosaurs. This narrative is a great way to get kids thinking creatively about solving problems. The characters get around in a world that's new to them and with bigger bodies. The three of them find out about adaptation and physical traits from a fairy information operator. They find out how the long neck of a Brachiosaurus helps it reach high leaves. They see how a tail provides balance. This segment is a complete preschool learning activity all about biology and physics. It's amazing how much kids love magical transformations, and they're a great way to teach them a lot about the world.
A limited theatrical release of this production shows it's a top-notch preschool learning resource. This special event was a great way to bring the home viewing experience to a shared social experience. These moments are really important for a child's social development. This title is still really popular with parents who are after great dinosaur-themed learning activities. It's got a high production value and an age-appropriate curriculum.
Mr. Noodle offers a hilarious lesson in trial and error. He tries to act like a dinosaur, but it doesn't quite come off. Kids learn to be persistent and have a sense of humour from watching him make mistakes. This shows that making mistakes is just part and parcel of the learning process. Use this example to show your child that it's okay to try again.
