Noah and the Rainbow

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- Noah and the Rainbow Software review.
- Noah and the Rainbow is a children interactive story book based
on the Judaica Press book written by Shoshana Lepon, and
developed with Davka. It comes as a CD ROM, and is a windows
based program. It's intended audience I believe is Pre schoolers,
but 2nd graders seem to enjoy the program as well.
- What you get:
- The program comes with a CD ROM, which is about all you need, and
as it should be for a program designed for a preschooler. It has
a 4 page, single sheet instruction booklet. But if you really
want to learn how to use this program, turn it loose with your 4
year old.
- Installation:
- Installation is so simple
that even an adult can do it! Open windows, through the CD on the
turntable, and open the program manager,choose run, Browse, pick to the
CD Drive, normally Drive d:, choose install.exe, and let it do it's
thing. It will ask you what drive to install on and then ask if you need
a windows program to run some of the animation.
If you have windows 95, you don't need the extra program,
and your finished. If not, tell it so,
and it completes the installation, creating a user group and
an icon.
- In it's program group, it has a second icon which permits you to
choose between a fast and slow computer mode. But installation
goes flawlessly.
- What it does:
- The program interactively reads your child a story about Noah and
Flood, using full fairly decent animation, and better than average
sound. You child can flip though the pages, read the story, or
have the story read to him/her. There are lots of things to
explore on each page. Many of these things are silly, but kids eat
it up. On page one, the sun eats a tree. Later on, Giraffe their
heads on the ceiling of the Ark. Animals cheer for Noah, and
later strike up a Jazz ensemble for Noah in celebration. Noah's
wife says, we've been married for four hundred years, and we are
still in love as much today as the day we we're married. All in
all, it is cute, and very modern in it's outlook. It is a long
program, but the children have lots of patients with it, more
patients then you might be used to experiencing with your
children! They can easily work the program by themselves without
adult supervision, although I have a rule, no food near the
computer!
- In addition, the program has a Matching animal game
activity. This is a nice add on feature. And it also has a coloringbook
section which prints. I like the programs that print pages to
color on. It adds a very significant dimension to the program.
- Educational Value:
- The strong suit of this program is it's emphasis on Derech Eritz.
The program shows examples of "bad" behavior, and contrasts this
with Noah's "good" example. The story is well told in rhymes, and
the sound, if not block busting musically, is very appropriate for
the pace and the feel of the program. This is not a program for
an 11 year old. It is a wonderful program for a 4 year old.
- In addition to this, there is an Owl Icon on the page which
teaches specific information. The last page it teaches that we
make a blessing on a Rainbow, and repeats the blessing in English
and Sephardi Hebrew. This adds to the educational element of the
program. It would have been nice if in the future the programers
consider putting an Ashkenazi pronunciation in the program as
well. My kids kept complain that their saying the Hebrew wrong.
But our upstairs neighbors then jumped in and said, in their shule
the speak Hebrew like this. In any event, for a Yeshiva child,
this can be confusing.
- Graphics:
- To often, when I look at
these programs, I'm disappointed with the
graphics or animation.
Not in this case. This program has some
of the best storyboard animation and Graphics of any childrens
program. Actually, the box and some of the advertising for this
program, doesn't do the animation Justice. The animation is
better then what you are lead to believe.
- Overall:
- This is a nice package. I like it at least as much as Torah
Rhymes and Riddles. At one point the program uses the term "Pop"
instead of a more Jewish name like Abba or Tatie. But this is not
a major draw back, and is about the only thing I can complain
about. In other words, this program is really quite good. I
would recommend it to a family with young children. It's certainly
worth the money paid for it. While it is not quite in the class
of Alef to Tav (then again - what is), it is nearly half the cost!
Davka has produced a winning program.
- This program is also available from Sapphire Software
1-800-223-7459