End of the "Reading Rainbow"
After twenty-six years and over twenty Emmy Awards, Reading Rainbow, the third longest-running children's show in PBS history, has come to an end. The show, which first aired in 1983, was hosted by actor LeVar Burton, who inspired a generation of children to love books and reading.
Unlike other approaches to literacy, Reading Rainbow focused on the fun of reading, not the mechanics of phonics or spelling. The familiar format had three elements: a feature picture book (or informational title), an adventure with LeVar, and reviews of companion books by children, which were prefaced by Burton's trademark line: "But you don't have to take my word for it ..."
"Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high,Take a look, it's in a book — Reading Rainbow ..."
