Many U.S. readers will have grown up enjoying the benefits of Reading Rainbow, a TV show that ran for 26 years that was canceled in 2009 by PBS. This popular educational children’s show was loved by many and although the show, hosted by LeVar Burton, isn’t about to make a return we have details of the new Reading Rainbow iPad app which is set to be a big hit for today’s youngsters as well as provide nostalgia for many of their parents.

Burton has been involved in the development of the Reading Rainbow app for iPad, which was 18 months in the making, and is now in the App Store. According to Engadget he was pretty emotional at the press launch of the app, which he himself hosts. Although the app is a free download allowing children to see what’s on offer in the way of books and videos, to make full use of it a recurring subscription is necessary. The in-app purchase will cost you $9.99 on a monthly basis or $29.99 for six months, which makes the cost altogether more reasonable.

The Reading Rainbow iPad app is compatible for iPads running iOS 5.0 or later and you can download it from iTunes here. The app is described as a reading adventure and aimed at kids between the ages of 3 and 9. Your child’s interests are taken into account when compiling their library of books on the app and there are also trips to view on video of visits to different places and people. The app UI features a series of different themed islands with more to come but the ones on offer so far are Animal Kingdom, My Friends, My Family and Genius Academy.

LeVar Burton and also celebrity actors feature as storytellers and the stories also feature some light animation and activities as you go. At launch there are 150 interactive books on the app, 16 video field trips, a reward program as incentive and also a parent dashboard to monitor progress. You can also check out the Reading Rainbow website which offers supplementary content and if you want to see the Reading Rainbow app trailer then head to the video below this story.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the Reading Rainbow iPad app. Are you happy to see the return of an old favorite, albeit in a different format? Maybe you’ve already tried it out and can let us know what you think? Send your comments to let us know.