Reader Rabbit Kindergarten Version 1.1

The adventure begins when Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion are stranded in Balloon Town and must rescue the Dreamship, which has been encased in bubble wrap and locked in the Pointy Palace. In order to wake up the sleeping bull that guards the palace, the player must locate five musical instruments. Each time the player completes an activity, an instrument magically appears. For a program aimed at kindergartners, the instruments take a lot of persistence to earn--kids must complete a staggering number of problems at each activity site and this can quickly become very repetitive.

The program itself is well thought out and comes with many user-friendly features. The software automatically adjusts to your level and shows how you're doing at each activity. It's also possible to save games for up to 99 different players, which makes the software suitable for use in a classroom or other group setting.

The CD-ROM set includes three other activities--calendar making, painting, and music playing, all of which are engaging in their own right. It also comes with a collection of more than 100 age-appropriate activities that don't have to do with the computer, as well as Reader Rabbit songs that can be played on an audio CD player.

As with other Reader Rabbit software, the biggest concern with this program is that there are so many things to do, children may eventually have to be dragged away, kicking and screaming, from the computer. Perhaps a laptop is the answer--at least that way they can play outside. --Molly Masland

Amazon.com Product Description
Kids (ages 4 to 6) discover core learning skills in this delightful age-appropriate learning environment featuring Reader Rabbit and friends. The Dreamship is trapped, and, by way of Balloon Town and Pointy Palace, kids get to put on their jumping shoes and bounce through a range of activities to uncover Reader Rabbit's ship. Explore eight fun activities full of adventure and discovery. Along the way, Reader Rabbit and friends guide kids through phonics, matching, rhyming, math, and more.

Reader Rabbit Kindergarten 2002 is part of the award-winning Reader Rabbit children's educational software series. Learning activities include Cocoon Balloon Patterns, Piggy Plane Math, and Bounceketball Dunk 'n Rhyme. Kids also enjoy this title's fun music, stories, movies, and characters, while the program's progress reports let parents see just where their child is advancing and where they might need some help.

So that you're never without Reader Rabbit, Reader Rabbit Kindergarten 2002 comes with the bonus CD-ROM Reader Rabbit's Dreamship Tales. It's bursting with added activities, videos, tunes, and more than 100 printable games and activities--a great way to keep the fun going after you've turned the computer off.