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Maisy�s Playhouse By Pam Gleichman Tribune Media Services Maisy, the friendly, whimsical mouse and star of her own television show on Nickelodeon, comes to life on the computer. In Maisy�s Playhouse children will explore four interactive rooms. The four rooms are filled with "click and stick" activities. In Maisy�s bedroom, children will look outside the window to determine what kind of clothes Maisy should wear. When the room becomes messy, children help her clean up by clicking the items that are out of place. In the kitchen, Maisy has made some gingerbread figures that have broken. Maisy asks for help putting them together and then decorating them with goodies. The program also offers seven multilevel activities that emphasize the importance of independence, friendship and cooperation. It also focuses on skills such as recognizing colors and numbers, sequencing, shape matching and following directions. Although Maisy is a cute and pleasant character, however, she doesn�t seem to have a lot of personality in this program. A narrator does all of the speaking; occasionally Maisy will make a squealing noise. The activities are very simplistic and lacking in educational value. For example, when cleaning Maisy�s room, all children have to do is click on the objects and they "magically" return to their place. The "click and stick" activities were not very exciting. This program reminds me of a program that would have been made in the early 1990s. The program might work as a first program for a 3-year-old but, for older children or children with computer experience, it doesn�t offer enough to keep them interested or challenged. Maisy is the creation of award-winning children�s author and illustrator, Lucy Cousins. The Maisy books are published in over 16 languages worldwide. Simon & Schuster Interactive & Sound Source Interactive, 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y. 10020, (212) 698-7000, http://www.soundsourceinteractive.com . Category : Early Learning. Age : 3 to 6. Installation : Easy. Use : Easy to use. Graphics : Cute, cartoon-like and very simple. Written Materials : Installation instructions are included on the CD-jacket. System Requirements : Windows 95/98, Pentium 90 MHz or higher, 16 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, 8-bit Sound Card, 640 x 480 SVGA monitor, 20 MB free hard drive space. Macintosh- Power PC, 16 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, 13" color monitor, 20 MB free hard drive space. Tested Version : Windows 95/98/Macintosh. Cost : $ 19.95. Rating : Two and a half stars. Maisy�s Playhouse is a pleasant program for beginners. Its weak activities and simplicity, however, will not sustain children. As alternatives, I recommend Fisher-Price Ready for Preschool or Fisher-Price Ready for Kindergarten. DEAR PAM : I enjoy your column, but have a suggestion. Would you please put the age group for the program? DEAR READER : I am not sure which newspaper you are reading my column in, but every review I write has a recommended age group. I feel that this is vital information. I suggest you call your newspaper and ask why they are not printing this information. WEB SITE OF THE WEEK KIDSBANK http://www.kidsbank.com KidsBank.Com is a tutorial Web site by Sovereign Bank that explains the fundamentals of money and banking to children. The Ask Mr. Money bulletin board is dedicated to children�s questions and answers regarding money. This section of KidsBank.Com houses three interactive calculators that demonstrate principles of saving and interest. Children may enter, select or change certain variables that effect the final calculation. By changing variables and recalculating, children will learn how time, contributions, and interest rates impact their savings. RATING KEY : ***** — Outstanding; **** — Very Good; *** — Good; ** — Fair; * — Not Worth Purchasing. Pam Gleichman welcomes questions/comments from readers. Write to Pam at Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Send e-mail to [email protected] . � 1999 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA