SEUSS TALE CAN'T FAIL ON DISC : `GREEN EGGS' RATES RAVES ON CD-ROM.

Byline: Mike Langberg Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

That Sam-I-Am!

That Sam-I-Am!

He's made a new ``Green Eggs and Ham.''

The all-time favorite children's book

Now deserves another look.

A new approach you'll find on disc.

I'll vouch for it without a risk.

So please excuse my lame reuse

Of clever verse by Dr. Seuss.

Yes, the folks at Living Books have created another winner.

The best series of CD-ROMs for younger children has just added ``Green Eggs and Ham,'' flawlessly preserving the rhythmic language, artistic style and sense of fun that made Theodor Geisel, who wrote as Dr. Seuss, one of the world's best-loved children's authors.

I adore all 13 of the Living Books now on the market, including ``Dr. Seuss's ABC,'' released a year ago. And I'm pleased to report that the company, a joint venture between Broderbund Software and Random House, plans to release a CD-ROM version of ``The Cat in the Hat'' at this time next year.

``Green Eggs and Ham,'' first published in 1960, tells of an impish character named Sam-I-Am who tries to convince a nameless old grouch in a battered black tophat to sample his plate of green eggs and ham. The grouch refuses until the very end of the story, then discovers he really likes the odd-colored breakfast.

What makes Dr. Seuss so special is his gift for creating rhymes simple enough to be sounded out by children just learning the alphabet without forgetting to tell an entertaining story. Also a gifted illustrator, he populated his stories with creatures who are lovable without being sickeningly sweet.

All the Living Books follow the same format: On-screen pages come to life with flawless animation, narration and music. The CD-ROMs always come with the print version of the story, helping children make the transition from watching the story on a computer screen to reading a book.

The complete text is reproduced on screen, and children can click individual words to hear them pronounced.

The 62 print pages of ``Green Eggs and Ham'' became 19 on-screen pages in the CD-ROM, supplemented by a number of extra scenes in the transition from one page to the next. Living Books then added three carefully crafted improvements on the original.

First, when children click characters on the screen, they hear extra dialogue that sounds as if it could have come from Dr. Seuss himself. ``Would you eat them baked or roasted/Over easy, poached or toasted?'' Sam asks the grouch in one animation. At another point, when Sam offers a turquoise-colored pizza, the grouch replies: ``Turquoise pizza, what a trick/That is sure to make me sick.''

Second, the text is illuminated through ``rebus'' or pictures that look like words. The phrase ``green eggs and ham'' shows a picture of green eggs and a ham, to help the intended audience of children 3 to 7 take their first steps into reading. Clicking on any rebus briefly displays the letters making up the word.

Third, the CD-ROM offers simple games for building memory skills, making words and recognizing words that rhyme. The three games, reached through the on-screen pages, aren't deep, but they are simple to master and provide at least brief amusement.

Parents will also find some helpful hints on teaching children to read and suggestions for activities in ``Beyond the Computer,'' a 16-page booklet included with the disc.

I would give ``Green Eggs and Ham'' an enthusiastic four stars, my highest rating, except for a surprising technical flaw - surprising, because Living Books produces among the most technically reliable children's software.

The problem is audio reproduction. The narration, sound effects and music all have a tinny quality, something like listening to a distant AM radio station. What's more, the lip movements of the characters are slightly out of sync with the sound track.

It's a minor gripe, and I'd probably let it slide if I didn't have such high expectations for Living Books. I rate ``Green Eggs and Ham'' at 3-1/2 stars, and I have no hesitation in urging parents everywhere to buy this CD-ROM.

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Photo

Photo: A new CD-ROM version of ``Green Eggs and Ham'' prese rves all the fun of the children's classic story.

Knight-Ridder Tribune Photo Service