Reader Rabbit Preschool

Reader Rabbit Preschool (originally stylized as Reader Rabbit's Preschool) is a computer game in The Learning Company's Reader Rabbit series of children's educational games. It is a remake of Reader Rabbit and Friends: Let's Start Learning!, with updated graphics and four more activities (making eight total). It was released in 1997. Another version with two more activities (making ten total) and a different plot was released in 1998. Its successor, Reader Rabbit Preschool: Sparkle Star Rescue, was released in 2001.

Versions[]

The Carousel Version, released in 1997, consists of the same plot as Let's Start Learning, focusing on Reader Rabbit, Mat the Mouse and the player freeing the Wonder Pony using keys and visiting the Learning Kingdom.

The Carnival Version, released in 1998, consists of a very different plot in which the player helps Reader Rabbit, Sam the Lion and Mat the Mouse fix up the Carnival Park and earn tickets to enjoy the rides.

Plot[]

Carousel Version[]

The Carousel version of the game features the same plot as Let's Start Learning, in which Reader Rabbit and Mat the Mouse gather keys to unlock a carousel and free the Wonder Pony.

Carnival Version[]

The Carnival version of the game features a new plot, in which Reader Rabbit, Mat the Mouse and Sam the Lion work together to rebuild a ruined carnival.

Characters[]

Reader Rabbit
Mat the Mouse
Sam the Lion
Tally Cat
Ben the Ant
Mit the Monkey
Ed the Dog
Wonder Pony
Wheel Bear
Arno Moose (single appearance)
Frank Frog (cameo)
Bruno the Gorilla (cameo)
Will the Elephant (cameo)
Buster the Car (cameo)
Rex the Monster (cameo; single appearance)
Tobor the Robot (cameo; single appearance)
Sis the Snake (cameo)
Nan the Toucan (cameo)
Buzz the Bee (cameo)

Activities[]

Each activity rewards the player with keys/tickets. In the Carousel version, four keys are required from each activity to unlock Wonder Pony from the carousel. In the Carnival version, four tickets are required from each activity to repair the carnival rides.

ABC Diner (renamed to ABC Café in the UK version)
Zany Zoom In
Counting Club
Hide & Seek Art Gallery
Pattern Parade
Crazy Costumes
Shape Shack (renamed to Shape Shed in the UK version)
Body Builders
Mouse Match (Carnival Version only)
Coloring Clowns (Carnival Version only; renamed to Colouring Clowns in the UK version)

Songs[]

Trivia[]

The Carousel Version, along with Let's Start Learning, is the only version of the game in which Wonder Pony talks.
The early UK version uses the original US/Canada title, "Reader Rabbit Preschool," and is based directly from Let's Start Learning. The updated UK releases use the title "Reader Rabbit Nursery," and are based on the carnival version released in the US/Canada.^[1]

Known issues[]

In the Early UK version of Reader Rabbit’s Preschool in 1997, during the gameplay of the ABC Cafe sometimes when loading the ingredients the game can stop working with an error message saying “Reader Rabbit's Preschool cannot read from the program CD. The CD may be dirty or missing from the CD drive. For instructions on cleaning the CD, refer to Windows Troubleshooting documentation in the CD package."