This surprisingly entertaining program includes an enormous amount of interesting and useful information about our solar system in a remarkably kid-friendly package. Connie & Bonnie’s Birthday Blast Off adventure begins when twins Connie and Bonnie, and their debonair poodle Jeff, erroneously receive an invitation to a birthday celebration on Pluto. The thrill-seeking trio readily depart on their lengthy voyage to Pluto, stopping to observe and learn about the sun, the moon and the various planets along the way.
Educational Value
Connie & Bonnie’s Birthday Blast Off combines an interactive-story format with a myriad of colorful charts, dozens of science-fair winning projects, a complete paint program, and fun riddles to test the user’s reading comprehension and retention. Every page in the story features multiple hot spots that, when clicked, reveal facts about our solar system--the planets, space travel and other space phenomenon. Information is presented in various ways, from monologues, to animated demonstrations, to actual NASA videos.
Kid Appeal
Although the information presented is fascinating, and quite accessible, some of it is overly technical for the program’s intended audience. The interactive story portion is clearly aimed at younger readers, while the charts and other technical portions of the program are best understood and appreciated by an older child. . A fifth-grade reviewer complained that ". . .the videos are boring." "My second-grader enjoyed the story, and clicking on the pictures, but didn’t really listen to the information presented," was another parent’s comment.
Best for... / Bottom-Line
Regardless of the degree to which children digest presented facts and figures, this program is an excellent resource, sure to enlighten and educate its users.
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