World Myths & Legends - The Ramayana : The Great Indian Epic

This is a very easy-to-use CD-ROM with very clear instructions. Children can listen to the exciting story, which is told in chapters, and can follow the text. They can use the bookmark function to save their place in the story and come back to it at a later date. There is also an excellent function that highlights difficult words and allows children to hear an explanation of their meaning should they need to.

By clicking on the treasure pot children can learn more about the story and the characters. There is also an opportunity for them to go on two adventures of their own. One involves helping the princes of Adodhya who need magic herbs to save them. These can be found on medicine mountain. Children have to move squares to the correct places to form a picture of, for example, the dark rangers who guard the passageway or a sea monster. The pictures get increasingly complex as they progress. The other adventure is to the cave of illusions to find treasure hidden in the depths of the cave. Again children have to create pictures. It is a shame that other games were not included to make it a more exciting adventure.

The Ramayana is a good retelling of this epic story, which is told to children in many schools. Children aged eight to 11 years old would enjoy following the exciting good-vs-evil adventures of Rama. --Amanda York

Watch with bated breath as Rama battles the Dark Rangers and wins back his beautiful wife Sita from the clutches of the evil Ravana. Hanuman, the friendly and all-knowing monkey recounts this tale of honor in 21 content-rich chapters.

Here is a fascinating peep into another culture and a glimpse into an ancient land. This fascinating tale will carry you breathlessly through palaces and forests filled with animals, demons, good, and evil.

With information sections and three tier adventure puzzles, this CD-ROM is a complete multimedia experience. Click-on action, vocabulary enrichment, and historical insights promise hours of fun and learning.

Learning Opportunities:
Exposure to one of the greatest epics.
Discovery of an ancient land - India, in all its colour and pageantry.
Values and morals rediscovered through the story.
Vocabulary and pronunciation enrichment.
Extensive interactivity and participation makes this CD-ROM all immersing.