''Reading Rainbow'' is an American educational

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...

that originally aired on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and afterwards

PBS Kids PBS Kids is the brand for most of the children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. Some public television children's programs are not produced by PBS member stations or transmitted by PBS. Instead, ...

and

PBS Kids Go! PBS Kids Go! was an educational television brand used by PBS for programs aimed at early elementary-age children, in contrast to the younger, preschool target demographic of PBS Kids. Most PBS member stations aired the PBS Kids Go! block on we ...

from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 30-minute episodes were produced over 21 seasons. Before its official premiere, the show aired for test audiences in the

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

markets (their PBS member stations, the Nebraska ETV ow Nebraska Public Mediaand

WNED-TV WNED-TV (channel 17) is a PBS member television station in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is owned by the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (doing business as Buffalo Toronto Public Media) alongside NPR member WBFO (88.7 ...

, respectively, were co-producers of the show). The show was designed to encourage a love of books and reading among children. In 2012, an iPad and Kindle Fire educational interactive book reading and video field trip application was launched bearing the name of the program. The

public television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

and 26

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s, 10 of which were in the "Outstanding Children's Series" category. The concept of a reading series for children originated with Twila Liggett, PhD who in partnership with Cecily Truett Lancit and Larry Lancit, at Lancit Media Productions in New York created the television series. The original team also included Lynne Brenner Ganek, Ellen Schecter, and host

LeVar Burton Levar Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host, best known for playing Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994). He also played Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''R ...

. The show's title was conceived by an unknown intern at WNED. Each episode centered on a topic from a featured children's book that was explored through a number of on-location segments or stories. The show also recommended books for children to look for when they went to the library. It is the third-longest running children's series in PBS history, after ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' and ''

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' debut ...

''. It was also one of the first PBS shows to be broadcast in stereo. After the show's cancellation on November 10, 2006, reruns aired until August 28, 2009, when it was removed from the schedule. On June 20, 2012, the Reading Rainbow App was released for the iPad and, within 36 hours, became the #1 most-downloaded educational app in the iTunes App Store. Developed by LeVar Burton and his company, RRKIDZ, the app allows children to read unlimited books, explore video field trips starring Burton, and earn rewards for reading. On the week of July 11, 2013, ''Reading Rainbow'' celebrated its 30th anniversary. In May 2014, a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign was launched to raise funds to make the app available online and for Android, game consoles, smartphones, and other streaming devices along with creating a classroom version with the subscription fee waived for up to 13,000 disadvantaged classrooms. The effort met its initial fundraising goal of $1,000,000 in 11 hours, and ended a few days later at $5,408,916 from 105,857 backers. This campaign led to the launch of ''Skybrary by Reading Rainbow'', a web-based expansion of the Reading Rainbow app experience. Due to a legal dispute, licensing of the ''Reading Rainbow'' brand was revoked from RRKidz in October 2017, and all its platforms (including Skybrary) were rebranded to ''LeVar Burton Kids''. An interactive revival titled ''Reading Rainbow Live'' debuted on Looped in March 2022.

Show details

''Reading Rainbow'' was hosted by actor and executive producer

, who was then known for his role in ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

''. The show was produced first by Lancit Media Entertainment (1983-2001), and then, by On-Screen Entertainment (2002-2006). Every episode featured a different children's

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

, often narrated by a celebrity. The featured story's illustrations were scanned by the camera in a technique known as "iconographic animation" of each page shown in succession, although on certain occasions the shots would be animated. After the featured story, Burton visited many places relating to the episode's theme, often featuring interviews with guests. The first episode of Season 6, which featured the book ''The Bionic Bunny Show'' by Marc Brown and his wife Laurene, included a behind-the-scenes look at the TV series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', in which Burton was a main cast member. The last segment of each show, called Book Reviews, began with Burton's introductory catchphrase, "But you don't have to take my word for it," and featured children giving capsule reviews of books they liked. At the end of almost every episode, Burton signs-off with "I'll see you next time", with a review of the books featured in that episode. The series' pilot, which was created and produced in 1981 and aired as the show's 8th episode in 1983, featured the book ''

Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport ''Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport'' () is a 1980 children's book by Marjorie Sharmat, and illustrated by Byron Barton. It was published by Simon and Schuster. This book was featured on episode 8 of the children's show ''Reading Rainbow''. ...

'' by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and was narrated by Doug Parvin. Producer Larry Lancit's daughters, Shaune and Caitlin, were often featured in the series, notably as the children thanking the sponsors at the beginning and end of the show.

Theme song and opening sequence

The show's theme song was written by Steve Horelick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir; the former also served as the series' music director and composer for all 155 episodes and received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his work on the series. Over the show's 23-year run, it went through three different versions of the theme song. The original theme (used from 1983 to 1998) was performed by Tina Fabrique and featured one of the first uses of the

Buchla synthesizer Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments (BEMI) was a manufacturer of synthesizers and unique MIDI controllers. The origins of the company could be found in Buchla & Associates, created in 1963 by synthesizer pioneer Don Buchla of Berkeley, Californi ...

in a TV theme song. The original opening sequence, which consisted of an animated butterfly transforming the surroundings of young children reading books into animated fantasy lands, was used until November 13, 1998. The introductory animation was produced by Ovation Films, Inc. and designed and animated by Bill Davis. On November 16, 1998, episodes began using a new live-action opening sequence and featured CGI in a space-themed world, with a new arrangement of the original song by Steve Horelick and performed by

Johnny Kemp Jonathan "Johnny" Kemp (August 2, 1959 – April 16, 2015) was a Bahamian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a songwriter in late 1979 and is perhaps best known for his solo work, including his single " Just Got Pai ...

. A third intro was used starting on January 3, 2000, with a rerecorded version with the original lyrics performed by R&B artist

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

. This opening sequence is mostly the same as the second one, but features footage of Burton in place of some of the animated elements.

Final years as a TV series (2005–2006)

Original production of the series was to have ended after April 4, 2005, with the show continuing to air in

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

s, but host

said on February 7, 2006, that five new episodes of the show would be shot in 2006 despite the continuing financial issues of PBS. The show aired its final original episode on November 10, 2006 and continued to air reruns until August 28, 2009.

Relaunch as an app

Announcement and early developments (2010–2014)

Former executive producer

announced on his Twitter feed on March 19, 2010, that "Reading Rainbow 2.0 is in the works." In 2011,

WNED WNED may refer to: * WNED-FM, a radio station (94.5 FM) licensed to serve Buffalo, New York, United States * WNED-TV, a television station (channel 31, virtual 17) licensed to serve Buffalo, New York * WDCZ WDCZ is an American radio station in ...

, the PBS affiliate in

that owns the Reading Rainbow brand, licensed rights to the brand to Burton and his company, RRKidz. On March 4, 2012, he announced that it was the "last day of shooting before launch!" On June 13, 2012, in a special presentation at

Apple Inc Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

's annual World Wide Developers Conference, Burton and his business partner, Mark Wolfe, introduced the new ''Reading Rainbow'' iPad App. It became available in Apple's iTunes Store on June 20, 2012, and within 36 hours was the #1 educational app. In January 2014, the Reading Rainbow App surpassed 10M books read and video field trips watched by children in 18 months.

Kickstarter revival campaign and aftermath (2014–22)

On May 28, 2014, LeVar Burton started a Kickstarter fund to revive the show and materials. In under 12 hours the show had reached its $1 million goal. The new goal is to create an educational version for schools to use, free of cost to those schools in need, and help America get back to high literacy rates. They are also going to create a website for students to use to assist them with learning how to read. The following day, May 29, 2014, they reached $2million (double their goal) at 1:15 pm. PST. The campaign raised $5,408,916 on Kickstarter with another $1million from ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'' creator/animator

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...

and $70,000 raised via direct contributions. The grand total was $6,478,916. With 105,857 backers, the campaign holds Kickstarter's record for most backers and is the 8th highest amount raised on Kickstarter (as of June 1, 2015). The first product of the Kickstarter campaign was ''Skybrary by Reading Rainbow''. Launched in May 2015, it was a web based subscription service that duplicated the Reading Rainbow app experience. In addition to narrating many of the books, Burton hosted video fieldtrips which connected kids to real world experiences at places like NASA HQ and Niagara Falls. In March 2016, RRKidz launched a new online educational service called ''Reading Rainbow Skybrary for Schools'', which followed the same mission of the television series, while expanding to integrate into classroom curriculums. In August 2017, WNED filed a wide-ranging lawsuit against Burton and RRKidz that demanded Burton's company hand over administrative access to other websites and social media accounts. The lawsuit also sought to enjoin Burton from using the ''Reading Rainbow'' catchphrase, "But you don't have to take my word for it," on his podcast. In October 2017, WNED and RRKidz settled out of court. While the exact terms were confidential, the end result was that RRKidz was no longer a licensee of the ''Reading Rainbow'' brand. RRKidz was rebranded ''LeVar Burton Kids'' and its services (including Skybrary) removed references to Reading Rainbow. In addition, Burton was allowed to continue using the ''Reading Rainbow'' catchphrase. Visiting the official ''Reading Rainbow'' website provided a page that stated "Recent legal disputes between WNED and LeVar Burton/RRKIDZ have been resolved and RRKIDZ no longer licenses the ''Reading Rainbow'' brand from WNED. WNED is currently working on the next chapter of ''Reading Rainbow'' and will continue its mission of fostering education for a new generation." WNED announced in November 2018 that research and development had begun on a new ''Reading Rainbow'' program thanks to a $200,000 grant from The John R. Oishei Foundation. Skybrary was acquired by

Reading is Fundamental Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) is the oldest and largest non-profit children's literacy organization in the United States. RIF provides books (print and digital) and reading resources to children nationwide with supporting literacy resourc ...

in March 2019. In December 2021, it was announced that the show would be revived as ''Reading Rainbow Live'', an interactive version featuring multiple hosts, dubbed "The Rainbows". The series debuted on Looped on March 6, 2022.

Accolades

Animation producers

Feature Book filming

The photographing of the Feature Book segments was by: * Centron Films (1983–1987; renamed in 1986 to "Centron Productions Inc.") * Loren Dolezal (1988–1998; renamed in 1995 to "Dolezal Animation"); Take Ten Animation teamed up with Dolezal from 1995 to 1998. * On Screen Entertainment (2000–2006)
Roger Holden
designer of the digital animation photography system used by Centron Films to film the Feature Book segments (1983–87)

Guest readers and contributors

Marv Albert Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; June 12, 1941) is an American retired sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he wa ...

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...

(''Pet Stories You Don't Have to Walk'') *

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(''All the Colors of the Race'') *

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(''The Gift of the Sacred Dog'', Sheila MacGill-Callahan's and Barry Moser's ''And Still the Turtle Watched'') *

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(''When Aunt Lena Did the Rhumba'') *

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(''Berlioz the Bear'', ''Game Day'') *

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('' Meanwhile Back at the Ranch'') *

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(''Raccoons and Ripe Corn'', ''Deer at the Brook'', ''Come Out, Muskrats'') *

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(''The Wonderful Towers of Watts'') *

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(''The Runaway Duck'') *

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(''Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus'') *

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(''Mrs. Katz and Tush'') *

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(''The Tin Forest'') *

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(''Dive to the Coral Reefs'') *

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(''Owen'') *

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(''Work Song'') *

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(''Barn Dance'') *

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from

) *

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(''Imogene's Antlers'') *

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('' Arthur's Eyes'', Dennis Nolan's ''

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'') *

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('' Frog and Toad'') *

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(''Amazing Grace'') *

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('' Follow the Drinking Gourd'') *

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(''Summer'') * Ruby Dee (''Simon's Book'', ''

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(''Ludlow Laughs'') *

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's ''

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'') *

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(''

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'') * Fernando Escandon (''Hill of Fire'') *

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(''The Piggy in the Puddle'') * Ron Foster (''My Little Island'') *

Jonathan Frakes Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. Frakes als ...

Vincent Gardenia Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for ''Bang the Drum Slow ...

(''Louis the Fish'', ''The Adventures of Taxi Dog'') *

Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...

* Jack Gilford (''The Purple Coat'') *

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best kn ...

* Robert Guillaume ('' My Shadow'') *

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...

('' Ox-Cart Man'') *

Ed Harris Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in ''Apollo 13'' (1995), ''The Truman Show'' (1998), ''Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award n ...

(''Enemy Pie'') * Jo Hayden ('' Martha Speaks'') *

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

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Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...

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The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

) * William Hickey (Dennis Nolan's ''Monster Bubbles: A Counting Book'',

Willi Glasauer Willi Glasauer (born 9 December 1938 in Stříbro) is a German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German languag ...

's (Greetings from the Surreal) *

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

(''Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin'') *

Anna Holbrook Anna Kathryn Holbrook (née York; born April 18, 1957) is an American television actress, known for her role as Sharlene Frame Hudson on the NBC daytime soap opera '' Another World'', for which she received Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...

(''Regina's Big Mistake'') *

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

(''Snowy Day: Stories and Poems'') *

Beth Howland Elizabeth Howland (May 28, 1939 – December 31, 2015) was an American actress. She worked on stage and television, and was best known for playing Vera Gorman in the sitcom ''Alice''. Howland originated the role of Amy in the original Broadway c ...

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie ''If You Give a Mouse a Cookie'' is a children's book written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, first published in 1985 by Harper and Row. Described as a "circular tale", illustrating a slippery slope, it is Numeroff and Bond ...

'') * Scott Irby-Ranniar (''My Life with the Wave'') *

Anne Jackson Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-sta ...

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Stellaluna ''Stellaluna'' is a 1993 Children's literature, children's book by Janell Cannon. It is about a young fruit bat, Stellaluna, who becomes separated from her mother and finds her way to a nest of birds. She is adopted by them and learns bird-like ...

'') *

Victoria Jackson Victoria Jackson (born August 2, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and singer who was a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (SNL) from 1986 to 1992. Early life Jackson was born in Miami, Florida ...

(''Tooth-Gnasher Superflash'') *

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

(''Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain'') *

Raul Julia Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...

(''Mystery on the Docks'') *

Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn ('' née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), ' ...

(''Bea and Mr. Jones'') *

Carol Kane Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as '' Hester Street'' (for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), ''Dog Day Afternoon'', ''Annie ...

(''Someplace Else'') * Charles Kimbrough (''June 29, 1999'') * Regina King (''Max (children's book), Max'') * Eartha Kitt (''Is This a House for Hermit Crab?'') * Linda Lavin (''Ruth Law Thrills a Nation'') * Robin Leach * Michael Learned (''Appelemando's Dreams'') * Maya Lin * Viveca Lindfors (''Rechenka's Eggs'') * Amy Linker (''A Chair for My Mother'') * Keye Luke (''The Paper Crane'') * Michele Mariana (''Stay Away from the Junkyard!'') * Olga Merediz (''Borreguita and the Coyote'') * Andrea McArdle (''Lemonade for Sale'') * Gates McFadden * Bobby McFerrin * Mark McGwire * Marilyn Michaels (''Gregory the Terrible Eater'') * Stephanie Mills (''Bea and Mr. Jones'') * Helen Mirren (''How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World'') * Robert Morse (''Sunken Treasure'') * Fred Newman (actor), Fred Newman (''Mama Don't Allow'', ''Fox on the Job'') * Jerry Orbach (''Germs Make Me Sick!'') * Corinne Orr (Aliki Brandenberg, Aliki's ''Mummies Made in Egypt'') * Frank Oz (Fozzie Bear from

) * Jane Pauley (''Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story'') * Peter Pitofsky * Faith Prince (''Nosey Mrs. Rat'') * Freddie Prinze Jr. (''Beegu'') * Keshia Knight Pulliam (''The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth'') * Gilda Radner (''The Tortoise and the Hare'') * Phylicia Rashad (''Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters'') * Lou Rawls (''Ty's One Man Band'') * Alaina Reed Hall, Alaina Reed (''The Milk Makers'') * Lionel Richie * Jason Robards (''Sam the Sea Cow'') * Al Roker (''Hail to Mail'') * Zelda Rubinstein (''A Three Hat Day'') * Run-D.M.C. * Lea Salonga (''Silent Lotus'', ''My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States'') * Isabel Sanford (''The Patchwork Quilt'') * Susan Sarandon (''The Shaman's Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest'') * Josh Saviano (''Little Nino's Pizzeria'') * John Sebastian * Pete Seeger (''Abiyoyo'') * Martin Short (''Animal Cafe'') * Marina Sirtis * Phoebe Snow (''The Gift of the Sacred Dog'') * Brent Spiner * Arnold Stang (''Alistair in Outer Space'', ''Alistair's Time Machine'', ''Archibald Frisby'') * Stomp (dance troupe), Stomp * Patrick Stewart (''On the Day You Were Born'') * Jerry Stiller (''Digging Up Dinosaurs'') * Regina Taylor (''Uncle Jed's Barber Shop'') * Lynne Thigpen (''The Salamander Room'') * Sada Thompson (''Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie'') * Lauren Tom (''Liang and the Magic Paintbrush'') * Michelle Trachtenberg (''Math Curse'') * Alex Trebek * Leslie Uggams (''Jack, the Seal and the Sea'') * Ben Vereen (''Ty's One Man Band'') * Ralph Waite (''Rumplestilitskin'') * Bree Walker * Eli Wallach (''Once There Was a Tree'') * Adam West (''The Bionic Bunny Show'') * Steve Whitmire (Waldo C. Graphic from

) * William Windom (actor), William Windom (''Hot-Air Henry'') * Michael Winslow (''Space Case'') * Hattie Winston (''Galimoto'') * Alfre Woodard (''Visiting Day'')

Writing and illustrating contest

In 1995, the creators launched the first contest called "''Reading Rainbow'' Young Writers and Illustrators Contest". The annual writing and illustrating competition for children grades K through 3 continued until 2009 when it was relaunched as "PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest". It was renamed to the ''PBS Kids Writers Contest'' in 2014.

References

External links

*
ReadingRainbow.com
''Reading Rainbow'' website by RRKidz, Inc.
''Reading Rainbow'' App for Kindle Fire
on the Amazon Appstore
''Reading Rainbow'' App for iPad
on the Apple App Store {{Former PBS Kids shows Reading Rainbow, 1983 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings 1980s American children's television series 1990s American children's television series 2000s American children's television series American children's adventure television series American children's education television series American children's fantasy television series American television series with live action and animation English-language education television programming Kickstarter-funded software PBS Kids shows PBS original programming Reading and literacy television series Star Trek