Bugsby Reading System
© 2009 VTech Electronics North America
VTech's Bugsby Reading System is a talking book-reading stylus with light-up antennae, that makes it possible for children to touch the words or pictures in a traditional-looking book, and to hear them read aloud. The Bugsby system joins three others based on the same "dotted media" technology: Poingo from Publications International, and the Tag and Tag Junior from Leapfrog. The books cannot work with one another. For $30, you get one book and the stylus; additional books cost $13 each. Getting the books synched to Bugsby is different than with the other systems. Once the batteries are installed, you place a thumb-drive-sized ROM cartridge, found in a pocket in the back cover of each book, into Bugsby's back. If the cartridge is lost, the book won't work. Children turn on Bugsby by finding a small red switch in his ear. Youngsters will initially need help with both of these steps. After that, things are simple. Children can freely jab at individual words to hear them, or drag the tip of the stylus along the words to hear the entire sentence read aloud. Several of the pages contain puzzles that ask children to find rhyming words, creating an excellent informal introduction to words and story structure. Additional books in the library feature Dora the Explorer, Olivia, Scooby Doo and others. We tested two books and found them to be a bit noisy, with pushy background music. Fortunately, the music can be turned off, but the default setting is on.
$30, Smart Toy
Teaches: reading, language experience, word recognition
CTR Rating: 90%