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Search The City is part of LeapFrog's range of interactive books that are designed to be used with their LeapPad Learning System. The pack contains a spiral-bound book and a cartridge. Simply slot both the book and the cartridge into the appropriate areas on the LeapPad and you're ready to start. This particular title is recommended for children at Stage 3 of the LeapPad library, which is children between eight and 10 years old. The background story linking the learning activities on each page is that of two characters, Tanna and Santo, who arrange to meet when Tanna visits the big city for the first time. Because of the crowds in all the locations they visit (the airport, the museum and the department store being just some of them), they keep missing each other. Santo leaves a note for Tanna at each location indicating where she should go to next. Each page of the book features a different setting and a choice of two activities, "Search and Find" and "Brain Benders". For the Search and Find task, the recorded voice asks you to locate a particular object or person (for example, the man looking in the mirror who can be seen through one of the apartment windows)--use the special touch-sensitive pen that comes with the LeapPad system to press the appropriate area of the picture. The voice response enthusiastically praises correct answers and offers encouragement if you select an incorrect
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answer. The Search and Find tasks don't just test observation--reading and lateral thinking skills are also tested with problems such as "Touch the sign beginning with the letter c" or "Touch the sign that includes a word that contains the word land". The "Brain Benders" tasks give you a set time limit (usually 45 seconds) to locate several of the same item, although the child's understanding of the noun used is sometimes also tested, for example, "Find the three musicians in the picture". Maths skills and understanding of the concept of comparisons are also tested. For example, in a picture of a busy street scene, you're asked to compare the prices that two different hog dog vendors are selling their wares for and find the cheapest--is it one for 65 cents or two for 1 dollar and 20 cents? The highly detailed pictures and requirement for lateral thinking makes Search The City a challenging interactive learning aid--even adult testers have concluded that it's not as easy as it looks. One minor criticism is that the some references such as prices haven't been changed for the British market, although the busy urban setting could just as easily be London as New York. Children familiar with Martin Handford's Where's Wally? series of books may have something of an advantage with the activities, as Search the City follows a similar format. --Alison Drury
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