I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
Growing up I did not watch a lot of television but I did watch Reading Rainbow every chance I got. I would then go to the library and search for those titles I saw on the show but I inevitably never found them and would wind out checking out other amazing books instead. I give partial credit to my love of books and eventual career as a librarian to Reading Rainbow and LeVar Burton. I cried when I finally got to meet him and get his autograph. I can still sing that theme song too! I absolutely love that his shows are now out on DVD through PBS Kids and I am ever more excited to see Reading Rainbow go digital with Skybrary.
Airing on PBS from 1983-2009, and hosted by LeVar Burton (?Roots,? ?Star Trek: The Next Generation?) for its entire 26-year run, the program garnered more than 200 awards, including 26 Emmys and a Peabody Award. To learning about comedy in one episode, to profiling people who have occupations in the evening and early morning in another, LeVar takes children on fun-filled learning adventures they won?t forget.?
- Animal Cafe read by Martin Short
- The Tortoise and the Hare read by Gilda Radner
- Ludlow Laughs read by Phyllis Diller
- Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message read by Nicholson Earl Billey
Animal Caf? is available at Target and other retailers. The DVD run time is approximately 120 minutes and its SRP is $6.99. This DVD is available from PBS Distribution.?
Experience Worlds of Adventure where your child will:
- Voyage to 7 themed reading islands with 500+ books.
- Explore 150+ exciting Video Field Trips with?LeVar Burton.
- Engage with interactive animations that make every book come to life!
- Receive new books and videos every Friday.
- Be given book recommendations based on their interests.
- One Subscription is good for up to 5 children.
- LEARN TO LOVE READING!
Young readers and pre-readers pilot their own personal hot air balloons among SKYBRARY’S seven unique themed islands, each featuring a wide array of quality literature and video content. These engaging worlds of animals, music, adventure, science, heroes, friends and family feature more than 500 books from esteemed authors and acclaimed publishers, made available to children as ?read by myself? or ?read to me,? and contain interactive elements that enhance enjoyment while preserving the reading experience.
It is more than just books as it contains more than 150 newly produced and classic video field trips with host LeVar Burton as he shows children they can ?Go Anywhere, Be Anything? as they are taken behind the scenes to places such as the White House, the Los Angeles Ballet, the Grand Canyon and Cirque du Soleil.
Parents can go in and see how long your child has been reading books in each area so you are still watching over what all they are doing. SKYBRARY is available at www.readingrainbow.com and offers a 14-day free trial with unlimited access to the complete digital library of books and videos. After the trial period ends, subscription plans are available. Available NOW?for the Web, iPad, Kindle Fire and Android Tablets. SKYBRARY is available from RRKidz.
I am so glad that Reading Rainbow will now be a bigger part of my children’s lives. This is an app that is constantly changing up their books, adding videos and all while getting my girls even more interested in reading. My oldest said this app is “amazing” and I almost always find her exclusively in the non-fiction areas learning about animals and space. My youngest prefers fiction stories about fairy tales and far away places. Either way this app has plenty of books that are read to them that pique their interests. I love that Reading Rainbow is keeping up with technology and reaching out to kids in a way that works for today.
Connect: You can connect with Reading Rainbow on Facebook, YouTube and @ReadingRainbow on Twitter.
