Reading Rainbow Partners With National Geographic Kids And Significantly Expands Digital Library

Popular children’s subscription reading service for iPad adds new nonfiction books and video field trips

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – RRKidz flagship brand Reading Rainbow announces a new partnership with renowned publisher National Geographic Kids, further strengthening its top-grossing reading subscription app. RRKidz also expands the Reading Rainbow library by adding an all new “Awesome People Island” filled with books and videos, hosted and narrated by LeVar Burton.

As a result of the National Geographic Kids partnership, in early 2013 Reading Rainbow will launch a branded island featuring books from National Geographic Kids’ most popular series, including Picture the Seasons, books filled with beautiful photography that captures the essence of different seasons; National Geographic Readers, easy-to-read books about exciting subjects kids care about; and the National Geographic Little Kids Look & Learn series of picture books for pre-readers.

“National Geographic is one of the most admired educational publishers in the world. For 125 years, its famous yellow border has meant adventure, education and quality to millions of adults and children,” said Sangita Patel, President of Publishing for RRKidz. “We are thrilled that children will soon be able to explore their world through the exceptional books offered by National Geographic Kids within the Reading Rainbow App.”

“Reading Rainbow and LeVar Burton have inspired generations of young readers to become passionate about books and reading. With this new app, the next generation of kids will take that passion to the digital world,” said Melina Bellows, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of National Geographic Books, Kids and Family. “Our partnership with RRKidz to create the National Geographic Kids Island will further our mission of getting kids excited to explore the world around them wherever they are.”

Reading Rainbow has further enhanced its service with the addition of a new “Awesome People” island. Here, children discover dozens of new books and video field trips about heroes, important historical figures and everyday people who make a difference. Some of the new books on this inspiring island include numerous offerings from the highly respected “A Picture Book of…” series including Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and many others. In addition, children can journey on exciting video field trips, connecting the books they read to the world they live in. Exclusive real-world segments include a look into the Oval Office, an exciting view of Air Force One, and a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. In addition, the new island debuts an all new video series titled “I Love My Job Because…,” introducing children to the world of possibilities of who they can become one day.

“I promised parents and children that the Reading Rainbow App would continually evolve, and with this major partnership with National Geographic Kids, we deliver on that promise,” said RRKidz Co-Founder LeVar Burton. “With hundreds of books and video field trips in our library, and more being added every week, our App continues to be the best resource for children to develop the love of reading that is so important to their futures.”

The Reading Rainbow App, available on the iPad, is a completely re-imagined and interactive experience reminiscent of the original TV series. The App is currently available on the iPad and has consistently been a top-grossing app. The App features hundreds of fiction and nonfiction books from numerous acclaimed children’s publishers as well as newly produced and classic video field trips. The reading experience is customized to a child’s specific topics of interests and age. Each book in the library can be experienced as either “read on my own” or “read to me,” with voice-over narration by professional actors including Emmy award-winning actor LeVar Burton.



About LeVar Burton

Best known for his Reading Rainbow stewardship as well as his other TV roles (most notably Kunta Kinte on Roots and Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation), LeVar Burton comes from a family of educators and is widely recognized for his lifelong advocacy of children’s literacy. In the past few months alone, he has been a keynote speaker at South by Southwest (SXSW) Edu and received the Eliot-Pearson Award for Excellence in Children’s Media from Tufts University.

About RRKidz, Inc.

RRKidz provides interactive platforms for families to discover and explore exceptional digital media content that is both educational and entertaining. Headquartered in Los Angeles with an office in Oakland, RRKidz holds global rights to the trusted Reading Rainbow brand through a partnership with series creator, WNED-TV, a premier PBS station. To download the Reading Rainbow App go to the App Store or for more information, visit ReadingRainbow.com. Like Reading Rainbow on Facebook facebook.com/ReadingRainbow and follow us on Twitter for news and announcements twitter.com/ReadingRainbow.

About National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers to explore the world through award-winning magazines, books, apps, games, toys, videos, events and a website, and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core. National Geographic Kids (10 issues per year) and Little Kids (6 issues per year) are photo-driven publications and are available on newsstands or by subscription in print and on tablets. The award-winning website kids.nationalgeographic.com excites kids about the planet through games, videos, contests, photos and blogs about cultures, animals and destinations. National Geographic Kids Books is the leading nonfiction publisher with as many as 100 nonfiction titles each year, including the New York Times bestselling “Kids Almanac.” National Geographic Kids Games engages kids to learn through play with games like the online virtual animal world of Animal Jam and the interactive TV experience of Nat Geo Kinect TV. National Geographic Kids Apps bring the best of National Geographic Kids to smartphones and tablets.