A New Generation of Reading Rainbow To Debut

Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s LeVar Burton has announced the launch of “RRKidz, a breakthrough reading, discovery and exploration platform that motivates today’s kids to experience literature via the digital devices they love.”

Burton was the producer and the host of PBS’s award-winning Reading Rainbow, which ran from 1983 until 2006.

According to a press release from RRKidz, “RRKidz will be available as a free app on iPad and select Android devices, offering hundreds of books via a subscription service and will be curated by Burton, providing the high level of trust parents seek.

“For twenty-five years Reading Rainbow gave me the opportunity to excite children about books and reading through the medium of television,” said Burton. “With RRKidz, I will be able to bring that same spirit of discovery, imagination and adventure to today’s digitally connected kids through enhanced e-books. RRKidz’ innovative platform allows us to deliver an incredibly exciting interactive storytelling experience through partnerships with leading publishers.”

“Teachers and parents grew up with LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow, and the thought of the brand coming back in a big new way is thrilling,” said John Raymonds, Raymonds Capital, LLC. “RRKidz empowers every parent to say yes to reading by making content more accessible and affordable for families.”

The first RRKidz product to be released will be a “multimedia-enhanced reading ecosystem on the iPad. Hand-selected stories are given a digital upgrade with voice-overs, light animation, and games.”

Burton will be able to “enhance a PDF book with voice-over, light animation, and games ‘in a matter of hours.'”

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