LeVar Burton Introduces Kindle Fire’s ‘The Reading Rainbow’ App

What has Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton been up to these days? Apparently the reading activist and Star Trek star is now promoting a new app available on Kindle Fire.

The app, which has been up at Amazon since February currently has a four out of five star rating from people that have already reviewed it. However, if you need someone to review a reading app, it seems like LeVar Burton would be the go-to guy for this.

In the new video that hit the internet, LeVar Burton advertises the Reading Rainbow app, which was launched in 2012. In the ad LeVar shares screen time with a cartoon boy named Austin, and together they explain just how the app works. The advert is very similar to the PBS program LeVar helped launch in 1983. The two interact with one another, and explore new literature for children within the app.

In the app ad Burton and Austin go on to explain just how much this app gives children: “New video field trips just like we had on Reading Rainbow television series. We designed our experience to include themed islands, that allow your children to discover what they find interesting and exciting. ”

Burton has been helping children to read since the early 80s through a PBS children’s show called Reading Rainbow. The show, which ended its series run in 2006, featured Burton exposing children to illustrated readings and age-appropriate literature. The Reading Rainbow app was introduced in 2012 after five years of Reading Rainbow being off the air. The app was deemed successful among its demographic and went on to become the number one educational app in the Apple store.

This app seems to veer drastically from the variety of mind numbing games geared towards children on different tablets such as iPods, iPhones, and Kindles. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Kudos to LeVar Burton for growing with the times.

Check out the Reading Rainbow app below: