ReadingrainbowwwwwwwwwwA generation of children grew up learning to love reading by watching LeVar Burton's PBS show Reading Rainbow. The show was cancelled in 2009 after a 26-year run, but has been resurrected as a new iPad app.

Engadget attended the public launch of the app, and has video of Burton's emotional introduction of the app, as well as some hands-on reviews.

Burton told us that he was genuinely surprised with the public outcry that followed the show's cancellation. Kids have grown up with it for more than a quarter-century, and as such, there are some fairly strong emotional bonds at play here. According to Burton, maintaining the elements that made the show so magical was the most difficult aspect of the 18 months the team invested in the creation of the app. And, naturally, one reporter in attendance wanted to know what happened to the book report feature that played heavily in the TV show. Burton assured him that it's coming.

The app's interface is built around a series of floating islands, each based on a different genre. At present, the islands include "My Friends and Family," "Animal Kingdom," "Genius Academy" (science and math) and "Action Adventures & Magic Tales." More subject islands will be added as the app continues to be built out. Burton told us that the team was looking to move away from the more traditional e-book shelf format, into something that made reading "more of an adventure," much like the original program.


New books are available via a subscription service for $9.99/month, or $29.99 for a six-month subscription. Reading Rainbow's page on the App Store has additional details for exactly how the subscription system works.

Reading Rainbow is available free for the iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

nostaws Avatar
168 months ago
Loved Reading Rainbow, but "service for $9.99/month, or $29.99 for a six-month subscription" seems a little steep.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
YellowKing Avatar
168 months ago
I bought the 6-month subscription for my daughter. She is almost 3 and we read stories before bedtime every night. The problem I had was that she would get bored with reading the same books night after night, and I would too! This meant we were buying new books almost every weekend to the tune of $10-$20. $30 for 6-months of new books was a no-brainer for me and very reasonable considering the cost of kid's books these days.

She absolutely loves the app. She particularly likes the interactive elements and animations in the books. Sometimes she prefers me to read the story, and sometimes prefers the narrator, so it's nice to have both options.

I do have some minor nitpicks with the app. The book selection is OK but there aren't a lot of "classic" kids books. We have found enough to keep us entertained, but hopefully they'll be able to introduce more award-winning books at some point. I also wish animations would not interrupt the narrator. My daughter likes to immediately touch the interactive elements, but this causes the narrator to start over. My only other wish is that there was a full screen option, as some of the book text is small even when zoomed in.

That said, the books that are implemented are all done beautifully. All of the narration has been great (compared to other storybook apps I've used on the iPad), and the animations and sound effects are fun and subtle enough not to detract from the stories.

One other feature my daughter really likes is the virtual sticker album. Every time you complete a new book, you get a sticker. This really encourages her to try new books.

I don't believe in using electronic media as a replacement for traditional paper books, as I think kids get way too much screen time as it is these days. However, this app is a nice supplement to our traditional reading and is also great for times when she just wants to sit down and watch a story on her own.

Part of the reason that I purchased the app is that I loved the show when I was younger and it encouraged a love of reading that continues to this day. I hope that by all of us supporting the app they'll be able to polish up some of the minor quibbles and produce a lot more content.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigJayhawk Avatar
168 months ago
Agreed, especially since (a) the app is listed as free, and (b) the original Reading Rainbow was on PBS. If the subscription proceeds go toward supporting public television, that may be a different story. But the publisher's name is "RRKidz, Inc.", so I doubt it.

The show itself didn't "support Public Television" either. It was the fact that Public Television could no longer SUPPORT THE SHOW that resulted in shows like this ending.

All people select an occupation. I've never understood why it is that society seems to feel that people that use their talents to pick a NOBLE OCCUPATION in the first place somehow deserve to be marginalized by that choice. It's like, "if you want to serve our children, run a charitable organization, be a full-time religious speaker (i.e. pastor, priest, etc.), or referee sports for the 'Y' you must not make any kind of living doing it."

LeVar Burton (and RRKidz, Inc. for that matter) don't need to be doing this venture as a CHARITY. They exist to support their families and their shareholders. Ultimately, I feel that many people in America (and on this forum) feel that Reading Rainbow is a NOBLE VENTURE. If you do, support it with the cost of McDonald's for 3-4 people and you have SIX MONTHS worth of Additional Content. If you can't afford it then don't (but perhaps don't go to McDonald's all the time either). The FREE APP already seems to have some pretty good content to start with.

Anyway, pick your priorities and throw support where you feel it is NOBLE. To be honest, I'm considering subscribing just to show support with my dollars even though my kids are now 8 and 12 and never much experienced Reading Rainbow.

Just my two cents.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
moethebartender Avatar
168 months ago
Loved Reading Rainbow, but "service for $9.99/month, or $29.99 for a six-month subscription" seems a little steep.
Agreed, especially since (a) the app is listed as free, and (b) the original Reading Rainbow was on PBS. If the subscription proceeds go toward supporting public television, that may be a different story. But the publisher's name is "RRKidz, Inc.", so I doubt it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
168 months ago
LeVar Burton's keynote from ORA TOC February 2012

LeVar Burton gave the keynote at the O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing conference this year about three men who had a huge influence on his career:



I had almost forgotten his first major role.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Navdakilla Avatar
168 months ago
LOVE THIS
I'll have to introduce this to my baby nephew !!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
fortnite apple featured

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Friday May 9, 2025 9:57 am PDT by
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020. Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...