Description:
Imagine Barney with a dash of New Age mysticism and a penchant for kung fu, and you've got marsupial martial artist Kanga Roddy, a popular public-television star in California. Unlike products designed to hone kids' educational skills, such as reading or math, Adventures with Kanga Roddy focuses on teaching emotional intelligence--qualities such as honor, respect, and compassion. Kids must explore Kanga Roddy's world sequentially, beginning in a place blandly named the Activity Fair; here they meet Tommy, woeful because he doesn't have a special skill like the other kids at the fair. Then it's on to Uncle Pat's Bookstore and a door leading to the magical land of Hi-Ya. Each of the three areas features 10 hidden games and many clips from the show. The games range from simplistic, aim-the-soccer-ball-into-the-net tasks to more complicated fare, such as changing stories by inserting new words or trying to outwit the Spirit Stone Puzzler. These games don't do much to increase emotional intelligence, but the clips from the show--especially the ones featuring Pat Morita--are a delight. Tommy's journey of self-discovery is the thread that links all the areas and helps this CD-ROM live up to its philosophical premise. However, the producers could have worked harder to make the activities appropriate to the concept; coloring predrawn pictures and hitting baseballs thrown by Kanga Roddy are activities that seem designed to entertain more than develop emotional intelligence. Some kids are bound to be frustrated by the fact that they can't simply click ahead and see what happens in Kanga Roddy's world; if so, just cryptically say, "Patience, Grasshopper," and leave them to their exploration. If Kanga Roddy does his job, they'll respect you for it in the end. (Ages 4 to 8) --Anne Erickson
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