A New Sesame Street Children’s Book Commemorates the Show’s 50th Anniversary
There's a new book your kids are going to love, and it will have them (and you!) humming one of the quintessential songs of childhood. The book, Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song, commemorates "Sunny Day," the much-loved tune that opens each episode of the long-running Sesame Street program, and it was created in celebration of the show's 50th anniversary.
According to a press release, “To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved children’s show, eighteen esteemed picture-book artists have each created an artwork interpreting a different line from the iconic song. […] The result is a stunning tribute to Sesame Street and to the generations of children who have loved the show.”
The theme song was written by Sesame Street musical director Joe Raposo along with Bruce Hart and Jon Stone. Raposo went on to write more than two thousand songs for Sesame Street and was honored with three Emmy Awards in recognition of his work on the program.
The book jacket features art by Christian Robinson, a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator. Other illustrators featured in the book include Selina Alko, Brigette Barrager, Roger Bradford, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Ziyue Chen, Joey Chou, Pat Cummings, and Leo Espinosa, among others.
The book Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song is available to purchase wherever books are sold ($17.99, indiebound.org, amazon.com, target.com), and you can find more information at rhcbooks.com.
In addition to this new children's book, there’s a Sesame Street 50th Anniversary Celebration airing on HBO on November 9, 2019. Sesame Street explains, “It started 50 years ago—a colorful community of monsters, birds, grouches, and humans. A place where everyone counts. For our anniversary, we are bringing people together from streets far and wide to celebrate 50 years and counting.” Tune in to see your favorite Sesame Street friends and a few visitors to the neighborhood too. Learn more about the special at sesamestreet.org/anniversary.
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Did you watch Sesame Street growing up? Can you sing the Sesame Street theme song by heart? Let us know how you plan to celebrate the program's 50th anniversary.
