But you don't have to take my word for it.

It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Reading Rainbow. I think it's a real shame that they couldn't keep the show going. It seems like nowadays a lot of educational shows aimed at kids are more about learning to read than what to read. I mean, learning to read is great and all, but there needs to be a show that is simply about books and creating that love of books. (Plus, LeVar is just cool.) So, in honor of this great show, I'd like to highlight a few memorable moments from its long run (or at least the moments that are memorable to me):

First off, we have the original theme song. I loved that song. I loved the animation that went with it, and was it wrong to hope that by reading a book I could somehow be transported into an animated world where anything was possible? No, I didn't think so.

And who could forget the teamwork song? I used to drop everything and watch this episode whenever it was on. (Watching the clip years later, I find that I still know pretty much all of the words, which I think is pretty neat.) Then, years later, watching a tractor burn, what popped into my head but the voice of the firefighter saying that the engine of a burning car could explode. (Yeah, not exactly comforting, but it was still good to know.)

Then there was the song about the library, which was also in the episode that included the songs for "Rag Basketball", "Flying Disc", and "Bleach Bottle Bird House," all of which gave you activities to do with things you could find around the house.

Now, I could go on and on and find all sorts of clips (goat people, claymation frog on a unicycle, Kapiti Plain, fruit stew, the Zambezi River, and the songs for Johnny Appleseed and John Henry, I'm looking at you), but I'm going to stop here. There were just so many great moments on this show, and I for one will miss it a lot. (Heck, I'd even on occasion watch it in college just because I happened to come across it.) I think it was a great show that not only fostered a love of books, but fostered a love of books that you could find at your library. Plus, if you saw a book with the Reading Rainbow seal on it, the chances were good that you were in for a good read. That, and you've got to love the kids that got to do the book reviews (I know I always wanted to be one). This is one show that I'm going to miss, and one that I'd buy if the entire series ever came out on DVD (though it probably won't, and if it did, I'm afraid of what it might cost or how many volumes it might require).