Reader Rabbit Preschool: Sparkle Star Rescue

Reader Rabbit Preschool: Sparkle Star Rescue is a game in the Reader Rabbit series by The Learning Company. It is the first game in the series which includes a young Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion. The title release was announced on June 28, 2001.^[1] The game is recommended for ages 3–6.^[2][3] The game teaches "shape and size recognition, letter recognition and listening", among other skills, including maths-related ones.^[4]

Synopsis

After all of the sky's stars disappear, Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion work together to bring them back, with the help of the person playing the game and a firefly named Spark.

Plot

It is a late night in the middle of an unnamed galaxy as the game begins. A pirate ship flies on the camera. It stops to a blue arrow pointing to the right. It consists of three rats: A dimwitted one with a blue and white shirt, a brainy one with a red and white shirt, and one with the look of a pirate (the leader). The dimwitted one says they are looking for somebody, and the leader says that they are having a difficult time looking for them. The brainy one states this somebody got away. The dimwitted one comments on how cute that the arrow is, and the leader finds out they are going to the right. They take off, and the arrow transforms and reveals itself to be a Dreamship consisting of a young rabbit and a young lion. The rabbit is named Reader and the lion is named Sam. Sam says that the rats have not noticed them, and Reader responds that he is pretty happy about it. As the Dreamship continues its voyage, Reader looks into his binoculars, saying, "Bouncing bunnies, check out the stars!" Sam, excited, grabs the binoculars from Reader and responds, "Roaring Raspberries! Oh, my favorite: Leo the Lion-o, and his pal, Rabbit-o!" Reader tries to tell Sam that there is no such thing as a Rabbit-o and that he needs his binoculars back. He gets his binoculars back, but when he looks into them again, he sees that the stars have disappeared. This causes a lightning bug to come to them. Suddenly, it reappears as a real lightning bug. It introduces itself as Spark and it is a girl because it has the appearance of a girl. She tells them she needs her help and that she is from Sparkalot, which is apparently where the stars come from. Then, the three go to Sparkalot and need your help, and this begins a brilliant mystery. At the end of the game, Sparkalot is now at peace once again, and Reader and Sam fly away on their Dreamship...until their next adventure.

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Critical reception

Tech With Kids said the game "cleverly interweaves innovative activities into an interesting storyline".^[5] Superkids wrote that the game was a "wonderfully designed program".^[6] Edutaining Kids praised the "fun, bright graphics",^[7] though said it was the "weakest title of the bunch" of Reader Rabbit games they reviewed.^[8] New Straight Times commended the game for its animation and songs.^[9]

References