Reading Rainbow

Journey to exciting places and build a lasting connection with your favorite books. Each episode centers on a theme from a book, or other children's literature, which is explored through a number of segments or stories.

Reading Rainbow (1983-2006) is a United States public television children's educational series created for PBS and hosted throughout by LeVar Burton. Across twenty-one seasons and 155 half-hour episodes, Burton greets young viewers and introduces a single picture book or piece of children's literature, then explores its central theme through a rotating set of segments, stories and location visits. Each episode is built to make reading feel like a journey, with Burton travelling to exciting places and connecting the book's ideas to the real world around the child. Narrators including Julia Child, James Earl Jones and Madeline Kahn lend voice to individual segments, adding variety while keeping the same warm pacing. The engine of the show is curiosity itself: a child who hasn't yet found a favorite book is invited to look, listen and want to read. Because each episode stands alone, the series works as an anthology of gentle lessons rather than a continuing story, and it feels cozy, encouraging and unhurried. Its tone is sincere and comforting, with a joyful, nurturing register aimed at preschool and early elementary audiences. Fans of Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Bill Nye the Science Guy will find the same blend of learning and warmth that made it a staple of American public television.

Reading Rainbow is broadly acclaimed by its audience for warmly encouraging children to love books through its host and its book-centered segments.

• Sesame Streetgentle educational kids programming, literature centered, host-led wonder and curiosity
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhoodwarm children's educational series, cozy host-driven exploration of the world
• Bill Nye the Science Guykids series built around friendly curiosity and learning through real-world exploration

Release Date

1983-06-06

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.4 / 10 (52)

What is Reading Rainbow about?

A gentle children's series in which host LeVar Burton reads picture books aloud and takes young viewers on journeys that spark a love of reading.

What is Reading Rainbow like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Reading Rainbow as measured, its intensity as subtle and its storytelling as simple.

Is Reading Rainbow violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Reading Rainbow.

What did critics think of Reading Rainbow?

Reading Rainbow is broadly acclaimed by its audience for warmly encouraging children to love books through its host and its book-centered segments.

Which shows are like Reading Rainbow?

Shows with a similar feel include Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Bill Nye the Science Guy.

How long is Reading Rainbow?

Reading Rainbow: 21 seasons, 155 episodes.

Is Reading Rainbow still running?

No, Reading Rainbow has ended.

Where can I watch Reading Rainbow?

In United States, Reading Rainbow streams on PBS Kids Amazon Channel.