Things That go Whoo-oo-oo in the Night
A Review of The Berenstain Bears: In the Dark
William T. Yates
Do you remember as a kid, lying in the dark, hearing Things That go Whoo-oo-oo in the Night, noises your imagination turned into ghosts - or worse? Were you ever teased by being told scary stories? Well, some of us may still hear noises in the night, but the things that scare us tend to be the realities of everyday life these days. But not so for kids. If you have kids, or know some kids, between the ages of 3 and 7, Stan and Jan Berenstain have produced another in their series of "The Berenstain Bears" which speaks directly to them. Not only is it a delightful story, well-illustrated and told in the complete book which comes with the CD-ROM, but Broderbund has handsomely realized the story in its "Living Books" production. It's fun and the kids will love it - and learn a little something about imagination and who controls it.
The story begins with Brother Bear and Sister Bear in the library picking out books. Brother picks a scary mystery which he later reads to Sister Bear, planting the seeds of fear in the dark. After a big to-do in the middle of the night, the next morning Father Bear takes Sister Bear to the attic to teach her something about imagination and to retrieve his old night light. Sister Bear learns that Father Bear was afraid of the dark when he was little and even manages to turn the tables on Brother Bear. The story can be read aloud with the phrases highlighted and there is a 'play' mode where your child can explore each of the scenes. Hidden throughout each page are animations ranging from slight to full dance and music episodes. Be sure to click on the Librarian!
For extra fun, there are two games included - a puzzle (with three levels of complexity and a number of different pictures) and a matching game where you help Sister Bear pair off the glowing eyes of the animals in the night. When successfully matched, each pair of animals wishes you a good-night and promptly goes to sleep. When they are all asleep, Sister Bear can go off to bed herself.
For parents, a booklet "Beyond the Computer", is included which contains suggestions for activities and games related to the lesson of the story. The music tracks are by some of the country's leading bluegrass musicians and they can be played on your home stereo. This is a very well-done production and worth the investment. Your kids will love it!
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
The Berenstain Bears: In the Dark |
| Company: |
Broderbund
|
| Cost: |
$29.95 |
System Requirements:
PC Requirements:
486 PC/33MHz or better; Windows 31. or Windows95; 8MB RAM; 3MB hard disk space; SVGA monitor (640x480, 256 colors or better); 2x CD-ROM or faster; Windows-compatible sound device.
Macintosh Requirements:
68040/20 MHz or better, Power Macintosh System 7.0.1 or higher; 8MB RAM, 4.5MB free; 3MB hard disk space; 13² monitor or larger, 256 colors or better); 2x CD-ROM or faster.
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 5
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 5
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Overall Score:
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