The Living Books range was well represented in the National Council for Educational TechnologyDepartment for Education primary schools CD-Rom initiative, with Just Grandma Me, The New Kid on the Block and The Tortoise and the Hare. They were judged to be educationally valuable, entertaining and different in their content.

Harry and the Haunted House and Little Monster at School are of a similar high standard. They come with full-colour books which are gloriously reproduced on screen. They have many amusing animations and sounds, and a fairly interesting storyline. They operate in the same way and format as the previous titles, but that is the problem.

If you are new to the genre, then you will probably fall for them. If you have seen the previous Living Books titles and used them, then you are left with an impression that now they find a new book, pour the text and graphics into an established production line and hey presto! There are constraints on following an established book, but the creative spark and novelty that caused such a stir when Living Books first came out is waning.

The Treasure Hunt is produced in the UK. It closely follows a book by Amanda Wood (not included in the package), which is an adventure filled with puzzles and games. To solve the 15 puzzles and games you need to concentrate and have good visual acuity, but the user guide offers help and the program hints at where things are if you get stuck.

The freshness, style and sense of enchantment of Living Books is also present in Treasure Hunt. The narrative, sounds and graphics are well produced, it is simple to use, and there is an innovative bedtime story facility that replays a story, diminishing the volume by around 15 per cent each time. There are not nearly as many amusing animations on each “page” but it does make you use your brain.

Omnimedia’s first “book” and its plans for a new title next year should give Living Books a good run for their money in the UK.

Living BooksApple - stand 251

Research Machines - stand 131