Latino Festival
| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 4404 |
| Season | Season 44 (2013–2014) |
| Air Date | September 19, 2013 |
| Word on the Street | Sturdy |
| Guest Stars | John Cho, Lorena & Lorna Feijóo (Ballerinas) |
| Booths Featured | Mexico (Luis/Maria), Puerto Rico (Mando), Peru (Penguin), Cuba (Rooster) |
| The Great Chase | Recovering a Coquí (Puerto Rican Tree Frog) |
| Linguistic Lesson | Spanish as a shared language across different nations |
| Abby's Fairy School | The Fairy Dust Bunnies (Cleaning and sneezing) |
| Super Grover 2.0 | Rockin' the Boat (Balancing an Elephant and Sheep) |
| Murray’s Segment | Murray Has a Little Lamb: Flamenco Dance School |
| Elmo the Musical | Guacamole the Musical (Exploring Nacho Picchu) |
| Key Muppets | Rosita, Telly, Elmo, Abby, Grover, Cookie Monster, Count von Count |
| Human Cast | Mando, Luis, Maria, Chris |
| Letter of the Day | V (Violin Song / V Salesman) |
| Number of the Day | 9 (Nine Spanish Dancers) |
| Educational Focus | Cultural Diversity, Stability, Phonics, Spanish Vocabulary |
| Sponsors | V, 9 |
Facts
Super Grover 2.0 and Static Equilibrium.
In Rockin' the Boat, the curriculum focuses on balance and weight distribution. Super Grover has to balance a boat between an elephant and a sheep. The production used a "seesaw" rig under the stage floor, so the puppeteers could tilt the boat to show what happens when something is not balanced.
Guacamole the Musical and "Nacho Picchu".
This bit is a parody of the old Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru. The "Nacho Picchu" set was a large-scale practical model built with foam and painted to look like stone and corn chips. It was designed to be sturdy enough for Elmo to climb, while the "Queen" character used a special "heavy-lift" rod system to manipulate her large tortilla chip accessory.
Flamenco Footwork Audio Layering.
So, during the Murray Has a Little Lamb bit at the dance school, we actually recorded the sound of the flamenco footwork separately in a "foley" session. Because the dance floor was actually a hollow wooden platform built for cameras, the natural sound was too "boomy". Sound engineers layered recordings of professional dancers on a solid hardwood floor to create the sharp, percussive "clack" heard in the final broadcast.
John Cho and the "Sturdy" Rope Gag.
In the "Word on the Street" bit, they show John Cho tied up with a "sturdy" rope. This was a practical stunt done in one take. The rope was a special prop for the show, made to look thick and heavy but still bendy enough for the actor to be tied up and let down safely between camera set-ups.
We're going to be integrating the Ugandan "Mango Tree" film.
So, the film from Uganda was included as part of Sesame Street's "Global Wonders" thing. It was edited into this episode because the word "mango" rhymes with the character name "Mando." This meant that the writers could combine a Spanish-language festival with international content by using simple rhyming.
Parent's Guide
Telly's got mixed feelings when he sees Luis at the Mexico booth. He thinks Luis belongs only on Sesame Street. Luis talks about how his Mexican-American heritage is a mix of two worlds. Mando builds a sturdy booth for Puerto Rico, while others represent Peru and Cuba. A little coqui frog hops between the booths, linking the different areas. Telly realizes that people speaking the same language can come from different islands or countries. This story is a great way to teach kids about cultural intersectionality. Identity is like a mosaic made up of many pieces. You should talk to your child about your family history to show how traditions shape who they are.
Telly and Rosita follow the coqui frog to the Peru booth. They find a penguin and a rooster speaking Spanish. Rosita feels happy because her language lets her make friends all over the world. Mando leads everyone in a giant sing-along to close out the festival. Shared language brings strangers together and makes them feel like family. This shows how important language is. I once used a few broken phrases of French to find a train station and felt a sudden surge of confidence. Being bilingual is a real asset that opens doors. You should start a word of the day in a new language to spark curiosity in your child.
Murray is feeling frustrated in his flamenco dance class. His hands and feet don't move in sync. He feels clumsy and wants to quit. He tries something new, chanting the rhythm out loud. Talking through the moves helps his brain coordinate his body. He finds his groove and becomes a confident dancer. This shows how learning can be done in different ways. When they're having a hard time with a physical task, you should encourage them to talk through the steps out loud. A rhythmic chant helps the brain organize complex movements.
Abby Cadabby helps John Cho find sturdy objects. Her magic goes wrong and ties him up with a strong rope. This gives a clear idea of what the physical properties are. Sturdy means something reliable that holds weight. In Fairy School, Blogg hides a mess under a rug. He lets out some fairy dust that turns everyone into frogs and chickens. This lesson is all about accountability. If you hide a problem, it'll only get bigger. Doing the work right the first time avoids a disaster later.
Summary
What’s the Word on the Street?: Sturdy
Latino Festival, Street Scenes: Telly and Rosita welcome the viewer and notice various booths standing on the street.
Armando explains that today is the Latino Street festival and that he’s having some trouble building his booth for Puerto Rico. He recommends that they should look around while he builds his booth.
The two head to the Mexico booth where Luis and Maria are. Luis explains to Telly, that he is Mexican - American because of his parents. Maria says that she’s not from Mexico, but from Puerto Rico like Mando, who still tries to build up his booth.
Telly and Rosita, who got a frog from Luis and Maria, head back when the frog jumps away and out of sight. They tell Mando what happened, but he has to build up his booth, so he suggests that they should go ask a nearby penguin.
They go to the Peru booth, where they find a penguin, who only speaks Spanish, and Rosita asks her if she’s seen the frog. She tells them that it’s under the table, but when they look under it, it hops away again. When they tell Mando again, he points them toward the Cuba booth, where he thinks it went.
So they go visit the Cuba booth, where the rooster curator says that the frog is in the flowers. They chase the frog to the Puerto Rico booth. Maria has just finished repairing when the monsters and the birds end up tipping it over. Maria puts the frog in his tank again, and Telly is amazed that everyone’s been speaking Spanish today.
They sing a song about their shared language. Sesame Street Episode 4404's street story "Latino Festival" ends.
Celebrity: John Cho has Abby conjure up things that are sturdy.
Film: Kids introduce some South American instruments.
Cartoon: Cookie Monster sings the “V Violin Song”.
Grover and Mr. Johnson V Salesman: Mr. Johnson has a run-in with Grover at the park, and Grover is peddling the letter V and some V word items.
Muppets: Murray and Georgia quietly introduce Abby’s Flying Fairy School.
Abby’s Flying Fairy School Say Gezundenshniffle: Playtime is over for the Abby Cadabby, Blögg, Gonnigan, but Blögg doesn’t want to put his toys away and sweeps them under the magic carpet, which locks up. Once unlocked, a hoard of Fairy Dust Bunnies unleash which they have to get rid of.
Celebrity: Zoe watches as Lorena and Lorna Feijóo perform their version of the Lamberena dance.
Muppets: Super Grover 2.0 is coming up, but first, Murray learns more about the Flamenco in Sesame Street Episode 4404.
Cartoon: Nine Spanish Dancers.
Muppets: Murray and friends introduce Super Grover 2.0.
Super Grover 2.0 Rockin' the Boat: A sheep and an Elephant find that their boat is uneven and cry for help. Super Grover comes for help to make their boat even again.
Muppets: Elmo the Musical is next, but now Murray continues working on the flamenco.
Insert: Elmo, Abby, Rosita, and the kids come up with rhymes for Mando.
Film: Kids in Uganda recite a chant “Shake Shake That Mango Tree”.
Elmo the Musical Guacamole the Musical: Elmo imagines himself as Chef explorer Elmo who is stationed in the Jungle of Nachu Pichu.
Muppets: Sesame Street sponsors are the number 9 and the letter V. Murray announces the sponsors. Sesame Street Episode 4404 ends.
