Children's books are coming to life this holiday season, as CD-ROM publishers rush to capture some of Living Books' young audience. Most of the titles combine a favorite story with activities from coloring books to games and puzzles. In Vroom Books' The Escape of Marvin the Ape (T/Maker, $19.95, 800/ 986-2537) kids help search for Marvin as he tours famous New York City sites. The story is narrated by Jonathan Winters and includes three games (even adults will get a giggle from the Musical Fruit Machine). Another storybook, The Blue Tortoise (Corel Corp., $24.95, 800/772-6735) features great graphics, and my kids loved being able to "color" the book themselves and print out the pages.
It's not a classic, but children aged 3 to 7 will be delighted with Menlo the Frog, A Musical Fairy Tale (Windy Hill Productions, W95, $39.95, 800/354-6150). In this interactive cartoon story, kids join in the battle with the King of Later, who's stolen the key to music. The three activities teach children musical concepts such as rhythm and melody.
How Many Bugs in a Box (Simon & Schuster Interactive, $49.95, 800/910-0099) is supposed to be for preschoolers, but you'll get a chuckle or two from the goofy bugs that help kids learn their numbers. The songs are catchy, and the games (eight in all) are terrific. A sure hit.
If the creatures in Snootz Math Trek or Bumptz Science Carnival (Theatrix Interactive, W95, $34.95 each, 800/955-8749) look familiar, it's because their developer also produced the acclaimed Millie's Math House and Bailey's Book House. Snootz and Bumptz encourage kids to think as they discover basic math and science concepts. The programs and their characters are original and engagingly fun.
Elroy Goes Bugzerk (Headbone Interactive, $35 street, 800/267-4709, RSN 731) is a wacky adventure that takes a little while to get into. But it soon becomes addictive as you assist Elroy in his quest for the Technoloptera and the grand prize in the Insectathon.
From Ethel the Elephant eating exploding eclairs to Little Lola Limbing, the characters in Dr. Seuss's ABC's (Living Books, $40 street, 800/397-4240) are wacky and wonderful - just as you'd expect from a Theodor Geisel classic. There's even a visit from a Who or two. In How the Leopard Got Its Spots (Microsoft, $34.95, 800/426-9400), Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book tale comes to life. The artwork is stunning, and Danny Glover's narration and Ladysmith Black Mombazo's music are first rate, but this CD is definitely for older children, since it doesn't have the lighthearted goofiness most preschoolers delight in.
Pint-size adventurers will be hooked on Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo (Humongous Entertainment, $39.95 street, 800/499-8386). My daughter was glued to the computer until she was able to reunite all the baby animals with their parents. Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show (Creative Wonders, W95, $39.95, 800/245-4525) sends young players on a treasure hunt in search of a cape, invitations, balloons - everything needed to put on a puppet show. And they may even learn a few words of French while they're at it.
Who says math can't be fun? It is in James Discovers Math (Broderbund, $40, 800/521-6263). Ten different activities help preschool-aged children learn to tell time, to recognize shapes, patterns, and numbers, and to learn basic addition and subtraction - all in an enjoyable playtime setting.
The Adventures of Hyperman (IBM Multimedia Studio, $42.95 street, 800/426-7235) mixes animated cartoon characters with solid information about scientific principles. The educational stuff is tightly integrated into the adventure, so the focus is on the fun. Zaark and the Night Team: The Quest for Patterns (Maxis, $34.95, 800/526-2947) doesn't rely on humor but is a very original look at patterns as they exist in the environment, art, and music.
In a series of missions, children begin to understand patterns and use that knowledge to set things right, from ridding suburbia of pollution to returning a Van Gogh painting to its original state.
For the under-10 crowd, PerfectWorks for Kids (Novell, $34.95, W95, 800/451-5151) brings together writing and creativity tools - there's a journal, a card and sign maker, and more - with a calendar and an address book. Most exciting, though, are its communications tools: access to America Online and (for Windows 95 users only) easy faxing and e-mail.
Creativity is also the key to the Windows 95-only Microsoft 3D Movie Maker (Microsoft, W95, $49.95, 800/426-9400), recommended for those 10 and up. Budding Spike Lees and Penny Marshalls will spend hours playing with this sophisticated movie-creation program for kids. As director of a movie, they get to pick their sets, characters, plot, 3-D effects - you name it. After they've made their final cut, they can play the movie back or save it and send a copy to friends.