Mar 1996
In this episode of Reading Rainbow Levar ponders what it takes to count to one million. Levar visits a Crayola factory and learns how crayons are made into many different colors and sizes. Levar then visits Giants stadium in New Jersey to see how stadium officials count the number of fans who attend different events. Finally, a vendors of Giant stadium discuss and how they use mathematics to estimate the amount of food they need for an event. The book "How Much Is A Million," by David Schwartz is read by Nick Sullivan. The kids review the books "Only One," "One Hundred Hungry Ants," "How Many Stars In The Sky."
Sun, Oct 6, 1996
This episode of "Reading Rainbow" teaches a lesson about family. LeVar Burton reminisces about his childhood with his mother and two sisters. His parents were divorced when he was eight, leaving him without a father. In this episode. we visit with children that come from different types of family structures--not all of which are traditional.
Mon, Oct 7, 1996
LeVar Burton focuses on the art of baking bread and its cultural value throughout the world. Bread is considered to be the most basic food that we consume. It can be fun to make, tasty, and it's part of a balance daily diet. But in many cultures, the making and comsumption of bread takes on an even larger meaning for many. The Hopi Tribe of northern Arizona bake their bread, bekee, on a hot stone outside. In keeping with Native American tradition, the stone is always borrowed and a family member is invited to help with preparations. This time is viewed as an opportunity to draw closer to one another and nature. In the Indian culture, no meal is complete without bread. Nan, the basic bread is spicy and baked in a clay oven. This episode's suggested books are "Bread is for Eating", "Bread, Bread, Bread", "The Tortilla Factory", and "Walter the Baker."
Tue, Oct 8, 1996
LeVar dreams he is miniature size and everything around him is "so very big." When he awakes, everything is back to normal. He learns that size can influence our perception. Things look bigger and a little scary when we're small. But as we grow, our perception changes. The suggested books are "Hotel Animal," "The Three Bears," "Mr. Tall and Mr. Small," and "Zoom."
Wed, Oct 9, 1996
LeVar shows us his travel room, a place very dear to him. His travel room has many maps and globes of places he's visited. While we all love our own homes, we often imagine what it would be like to live someplace else. In this episode, we see what life is like in New York City, on the high seas, and in Hawaii. Books used in the this episode include "Someplace Else," "Me on the Map," "Town Mouse, Country Mouse," and "Somewhere in the World Right Now."
Sep 1996
Music and orchestras are profiled in this tuneful show. The episode soon gets rhythmic when LeVar introduces the viewers to the theatrical percussion group, Stomp. Gregory Hines reads Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin, a counting story that mentions all the different types of instruments that are played in bands and orchestras and the kinds of groups they make based on many play at once.
Sun, Apr 6, 1997
How babies are born is explored, in great detail, in this episode, as a family welcoming their fourth child is profiled during the last few weeks before delivery. Patrick Stewart reads a poem about how special each person is when they come into the world, and how every birth should be celebrated.
Mon, Apr 7, 1997
In this episode of the "Reading Rainbow," Levar Burton visits with The Bill Saxton Quartet and Saxophonist Joshua Redman. We learn about jazz and the concept of improvisation. Books featured in this episode include: "Hip Cat", "Conga Crocodile", "Charlie Parker Played BeBop", and "Willie Jerome."
Mar 1997
In this episode of the "Reading Rainbow," Levar Burton visits with The Bill Saxton Quartet and Saxophonist Joshua Redman. We learn about jazz and the concept of improvisation. Books featured in this episode include: "Hip Cat", "Conga Crocodile", "Charlie Parker Played BeBop", and "Willie Jerome."
Wed, Apr 9, 1997
LeVar discusses how people show gratitude for kind acts and how we can repay each other in acts of kindness to spread good will in the world. Nicholson Earl Billey reads the featured story, a poem of greeting that Native Americans say each day to bless the earth and pray for all the gifts they have been given by respecting the planet.
Thu, Apr 10, 1997
A lesson about legacies is presented. The book "Carousel", narrated by Sarah Hubbard, shows that a legacy is a special gift passed down from generation to generation. Other books recommended are "The Long Silk Strand", "The Always Prayer Shawl", and "Up and Down on the Merry Go Round."