Reading Rainbow

What can you do with very little money? That's what the featured book and LeVar must face. To set the tone for the entire series, LeVar shows a friend a wealth of fun at the local library. Patrick McCaffrey reads Tight Times, a story about how a little boy talks his parents into letting him adopt a stray cat even though they have to make budget cuts after the father is laid off from his job.

LeVar is already worn out after working on several scenes all day long on the production of the series. He feels he needs to take on another identity, segueing into introducing the featured book, Bea and Mr. Jones. Madeline Kahn reads the book about a kindergarten student and her father who get so bored with their jobs that they decide to experiment by switching places for the day.

How do you envision the rain, or any kind of weather? Some of the things to ask about in this show of weather legends. When LeVar's plans of attending a picnic and softball game are derailed by a downpour, he decides to stay home to read a few books instead.

Starting at the New England Aquarium, LeVar gets into a lengthy observation of aquatic life. Vincent Gardenia reads the story of Louis the Fish, a fanciful tale of a man, forced to take over his family's butcher business but secretly longing to take care of fish instead, wakes up one morning to find he magically turned into a giant salmon.

What is with this unfunny dinosaur, thinking he can do stand-up comedy on a dinosaur (of a) program? Technically not the first science-related show in its history, LeVar seeks a place where archaeologists retrieve dinosaur bones. Linda Gilman reads Digging Up Dinosaurs, a story about how paleontologists unearth dinosaurs skeletons and preserve them in museum exhibits.

LeVar goes to Chinatown for a look at Chinese culture. In something completely different, a New York technology institute draws a traditional Chinese dragon boat.

LeVar is out to disspell misconceptions of unknown things. When the boy in the featured book is convinced he'll find gila monsters when he arrives at an airport out in the West, this raises the question: What is a gila monster? A nature visit to the West shows us a gila monster up close. Later in the program, LeVar discusses with children the new experiences they have had to face.

LeVar takes a camping trip with some young friends. They make a photo album of their trip and some other kids share their photo albums they made to show what they did over the summer. Carolyn McMahon narrates Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe, a story about a girl and her cousin who go on a camping trip with their mothers and ride in a canoe on the river.

The first of many programs favoring Native Americans. In this instance, a folk tale suggests how the horse came to them. Later in the program is the song Ancient Places, Sacred Lands, listing several words originating from various parts of the Land and what they mean.

Goats are the topic of the day, as LeVar visits a children's petting zoo with goats to introduce Gregory, the Terrible Eater. Marilyn Michaels reads the story of a little goat who starts out as a picky eater but then overeats when his parents try to get him to eat new foods. Then, as LeVar goes to lunch, he finds himself in a strange diner occupied by goats and serving unusual dishes.

LeVar spends a day at the beach, where he notices that everyone is reading the book of the day, Three by the Sea. Improvisation Comedy Troupe members of Chicago City Limits read the story of three children who challenge each other to come up with different stories using the same topic material. Later on, the improvising actors work with a group of children to teach them improv acting.

LaVar explores seeing and our other senses, as Bill Cosby tells the story of how the young aardvark, Arthur Read acquired his pair of glasses.

LeVar visits a pet store to discuss the featured book, and imagines that one of the pets from the store followed him home. Kaleena Kiff and Laura Hicks read the featured story of a little girl telling her mother about a school fieldtrip to a farm, and the chaos that ensued when her classmate brought along his pet snake to introduce it to the farm animals.

LeVar is ready to find music everywhere, and he does. This show includes the animation "Onomatopoeia." Lou Rawls reads the story of Ty's One-Man Band, about a man who teaches a boy how to make music using household items.

LeVar goes to South Carolina to ride a hot-air balloon. In another study of how air travel has advanced, schoolchildren visit the Space Camp for Aspiring Young Astronauts. William Windom reads the story of Hot-Air Henry, the misadventures of a cat who sneaks on board his family's hot air balloon and how he gets back down again.

There's nothing more LeVar enjoys than doodling. In the featured book, a doodle goes on the loose and it's up to Simon to tame it. Ruby Dee reads the book LeVar is studying, Simon's Book, about how the characters in an unfinished child's drawing come to life and finish the details the artist left out before going to bed.

LeVar visits Old Sturbridge Village in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to experience reenactments of life in Colonial America. Lorne Greene reads the story of Ox-Cart Man, all about a man who goes to town to sell all the hand-made items he and his family made throughout the year to earn a living.

As LeVar explores the docks, Raul Julia narrates the story of Ralph, a short order cook who foils a kidnapping plot to hold Eduardo, a famous opera singer, hostage.

LeVar and eight other actors are rehearsing for a musical number called "Teamwork." Amy Linker("Square Pegs")reads A Chair for My Mother, about a family that has to save up money to replace furniture lost when their apartment burns down in a fire. It also tells about how the rest of the neighborhood pulled together to help them during their loss.

To profile tall tales and legends such as Paul Bunyan, John Henry and Johnny Appleseed, LeVar is at a logger's camp for the bulk of the program. After the featured book, this program shows the work necessary to put out a forest fire. Buddy Ebsen reads the story of legendary lumberman Paul Bunyan, who supposedly carved the Grand Canyon and cut down hundreds of forests in his travels.