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Arthur's Preschool

Arthur's Preschool

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Description:

As ladybugs cha-cha across the bottom of the screen, and the always-game Francine whacks balls into the outfield, kids will feel like part of Arthur's gang of pals as they explore the world of Arthur's Preschool. The feeling is reinforced, thanks to a personalization feature that causes Arthur to name players by name and reference things such as their favorite color or animal throughout the program. Be forewarned: if your child has an unusual name, Arthur may not be able to pronounce it. He discreetly ignored the name Rosalind in our trials. Each activity is based around a character from the Arthur television show. Kids can help Brain build a robot by handing him boxes containing the letters he asks for. They can help Muffy design a Mount Rushmore-like sculpture of her snooty family by choosing photos whose faces match the emotion she's looking for. Or they can pick up and count the baseballs Francine hits at batting practice. There are eight activities in all. Three levels of difficulty and Arthur's helpful suggestions to up the level when play becomes too easy ensure that kids won't get bored. Also, Arthur patiently instructs kids on how to use the mouse and gives a "how-to" demonstration whenever a new player encounters a game for the first time. There's a second CD-ROM in the boxed set that has a music-making station, a place to make greeting cards, and printable activities--all rather second fiddle compared to hanging out with Arthur and his buddies. We've never been able to figure out exactly what kind of bespectacled, round-eared, sincere animal Arthur is, but we no longer care, since we've discovered he's a wonderful and benevolent early-learning coach for preschoolers. (Ages 3 to 5) --Anne Erickson
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