By Jim Metzner
Living Books's Grandma and Me is the closest thing to an "instant classic" in the relatively new arena of children's CD-ROMs. It's a friendly story about a furry chipmunkesque creature going to the beach with his grandma. What shines through is the way that grandma relates to the little tyke. She's supportive and caring without being overprotective or saccharine. The music and graphics share this genial quality.
The story unfolds page by page, with a bit of animation and a sentence or two of narrated story. The action stops, and the user can click on virtually any part of the scenery to see what happens. Broderbund has cleverly made these peripheral elements playful, imaginative, and sometimes humorous, extending activity and playtime for each page.
My daughter and I have played Grandma and Me together, and, on occasion, she goes it alone, replaying her favorite parts over and over again. One time, I peeked into the room to see her doing the hula with a dancing starfish.
Voyager's A Silly Noisy House is another favorite children's CD-ROM. As in Grandma and Me, the overt intention is not so much education as play; this seems entirely appropriate for the 3- to 4-year-old age group. Every object in A Silly Noisy House has an accompanying sound. Each room is chock-full of sounds, surprises, songs, games, and rhymes. In the kitchen, clicking on the oven yields, at times, a pie, a birthday cake, or a turkey. Click on the cake and you've got a party happening, complete with pinata and an ingenious pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game. Click on the pie and you hear a nursery rhyme complete with four-and-twenty animated blackbirds. The graphics, music, and sounds are just right – a pleasure to hear and see.
Both these titles have stood the test of replayability. They're fun, and – by the way – an easy introduction to the inevitable realm of computer technology.
Grandma and Me: US$39.95. Living Books: (800) 521 6263, +1 (415) 382 4400. A Silly Noisy House: US$49.95. The Voyager Company: (800) 446-2001, +1 (914) 591 5500.
STREET CRED
Online User's EncyclopediaTwo Tot-Enthralling Titles
The Personal Information Industry and You
