Reader Rabbit’s Latest Adventures

For the last 17 years, Reader Rabbit has been teaching children by challenging them with computer activities. This summer he is sporting a new look--baggy jeans and T-shirt--and has two new CD-ROMs out with upgraded graphics. “Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!” and “Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade: Mis-cheese-ious Dreamship Adventures!” get a little bogged down by repetitive tasks, but both rally for fun finishes.

‘Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!’

Something is definitely wrong in Wordville--it is raining galoshes and umbrellas! Reader and his friend, Sam the Lion, jump aboard their magical flying ship to investigate this wacky weather. Along the way they meet Queen Cumulus, who solicits their help in stopping the deluge. Finally, they discover a misguided inventor who made a gadget to throw rain gear into the clouds in hopes of stopping a storm.

The inventor is willing to turn off his machine but can’t do so without finding three lost items. Players join Reader and Sam in the search for the missing items as they explore three fun environments: the clouds, Rain Gear Forest (a place where galoshes and umbrellas grow on trees) and the inventor’s workshop.

The game play is similar to that of the “Freddi Fish” series--players search through various locales to pick up objects, talk to whimsical characters and solve puzzles.

In order to meet their goal on this CD-ROM, players have to work through eight activities that focus on art, math, science and language arts.

The software does an excellent job of motivating children to do the activities. For example, to retrieve one of the three missing items, players must open a gate by obtaining colored marbles and then placing them in a pattern.

The main drawback to the CD-ROM is that its game path does not vary when played a second time. Also, the easiest level of difficulty assumes some mastery of first-grade curriculum, so be prepared to offer help to beginning first-graders.

‘Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade: Mis-cheese-ious Dreamship Adventures!’

Second-graders join Reader and Sam the Lion in a crazy adventure full of cheese and mischievous rats. The adventure begins when Reader and Sam are attacked by a group of PiRats who disable their flying ship by shooting it with cheese. Reader and Sam barely escape before their ship crashes on nearby Mt. Cheesemore Island. Now they must rescue their ship.

The islands made of cheese have some crazy places to visit, such as Fondue Falls. While adventuring here and in other spots, children explore seven activities that teach math, language arts and science.

At first, players must earn the materials to build a boat by completing four activities. Unfortunately, they are required to do the same four activities a number of times before the adventure can advance.

Many of the activities are in an arcade style that probably will appeal to children who play video games.

However, these activities are not as integrated into the story as those found in “Capers on Cloud Nine!”

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Jinny Gudmundsen is editor of Choosing Children’s Software magazine.

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The Skinny

“Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!”

Price: $20

Ages: 6 to 8

Platform: PC/Mac

System requirements: On the PC, a Pentium 166 with 32 MB of RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space. On the Mac, a 160-MHz running OS 8.6-9.1 with 32 MB of RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space.

Publisher: Learning Co.

The good: Seamless integration of academic activities into an engaging story

The bad: Story line doesn’t change on repeated playings

Bottom line: Terrific academic fun for first-graders

“Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade: Mis-cheese-ious Dreamship Adventures!”

Price: $20

Ages: 7 to 9

Platform: PC/Mac

System requirements: On the PC, a Pentium 166 with 32 MB of RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space. On the Mac, a 160-MHz running OS 8.6-9.1 with 32 MB of RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space.

Publisher: Learning Co.

The good: Seven fun academic games

The bad: Too much repetitive play of some sections before the story line moves forward

Bottom line: Though not as fun as Reader’s new first-grade title, this is a second-grade title worth exploring