In celebration of 40 years of Reading Rainbow, we will be sharing 40 FULL EPISODES of Reading Rainbow on our YouTube channel!
For a limited time only, enjoy full episodes of the original series. Episodes will be made available to stream on YouTube one at a time, released every Tuesday and Thursday - through February 2024.
Stay posted to see which episodes are included in this special 40th Anniversary treat for YOU (or check YouTube if you just can't wait ) and subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an episode.
Watch Reading Rainbow Full Episodes
Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies|Reading Rainbow Complete Episode|40th Anniversary Celebration
A young boy tells of coming to this country to be adopted. He remembers how unfamiliar and frightening some things were in his new home, before he accepted the love found there. This tender story about a family formed through adoption leads LeVar to explore the variety of ways families are created. The Harris family has two children, both adopted. The Peck family is a single mother and nine adopted children. The Abney family is a set of parents, two brothers and an adopted sister. Viewers learn that families are really created by love.
Author: Ann Turner
Illustrator: James Graham Hale
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1992.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Rechenka's Eggs
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Rechenka's Eggs | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
An injured goose rescued by Babushka, having broken the painted eggs intended for the Easter Festival in Moskva, lays thirteen marvelously colored eggs to replace them. She then leaves behind one final miracle — in egg form — before returning to her own kind. The author, Patricia Polacco, demonstrates the traditional Ukrainian egg-painting art (pysanky), and shares how she got the idea for this story. Viewers will gain a new appreciation for the egg in art as LeVar decorates eggs and finds objects that are egg-shaped. Viewers also see the practical side during a montage of animal babies emerging from eggs.
Author & Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Narrator: Viveca Lindfors
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1992.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Tar Beach
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Tar Beach | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. LeVar takes viewers up on the roof to a “tar beach,” an urban oasis in the sky. A pigeon keeper and a rooftop gardener are interviewed and explain why they have chosen their respective hobbies. LeVar tells about the George Washington Bridge, which was constructed in 1928. Viewers are taken to new heights as present-day bridge workers explain their jobs.
Author & Illustrator: Faith Ringgold
Narrator: Ruby Dee
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1992.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
Reading Rainbow (Official)
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode| 40th Anniversary Celebration
Little Gopher follows his destiny of becoming an artist for his people and bringing the colors of the sunset down to the earth. LeVar visits the Pueblo Indian people of Taos, New Mexico where Mother Earth plays a crucial role in their art. He interviews a painter, a family of pottery makers, and a family of dancers. Each explains the traditions behind their art and the Native American culture.
Retold & Illustrated by: Tomie dePaola
Narrator: Harold Littlebird
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1991.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Florence and Eric Take the Cake
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Florence and Eric Take the Cake | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
This story is about a brother and sister lamb who accidentally cause a major mix-up between a delicious cake and a beautiful hat. This spirited book sets the stage for LeVar to take a trip to the Movie Land Wax Museum where he learns how wax figures are made. Viewers also see how some talented bakers are able to make a cake look like a basketball, a cheeseburger, a sports car or just about anything.
Author & Illustrator: Jocelyn Wild
Narrator: Julia Child
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1990.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Little Nino's Pizzeria
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Little Nino's Pizzeria | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Tony loves helping his dad make pizza at their family restaurant until his dad decides to open a fancy new restaurant and everything changes. Teamwork, especially working together as a family, can be very rewarding. A family that works together in the fireworks business is interviewed. This book also inspires LeVar to make his own pizza. He explains how yeast works, shapes the dough, and tops it, not knowing that additional guests (an entire basketball team) would require him to order out!
Author & Illustrator: Karen Barbour
Narrator: Josh Saviano
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1990.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
An African tale of Mufaro’s two beautiful daughters – one bad tempered, one kind and sweet – who go before the king who is choosing a wife. Viewers celebrate the culture of Africa in New York City’s Central Park where LeVar learns how African drums are made, then plays some authentic African instruments. He joins in the festival fun with an African dance troupe, Forces of Nature.
Author & Illustrator: John Steptoe
Narrator: Phylicia Rashad
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1989.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Mummies Made in Egypt
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Mummies Made in Egypt | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
This book describes the techniques and the reasons for the use of mummification in ancient Egypt. LeVar visits the Museum of Fine Arts Boston where the art of conserving Egyptian artifacts is explored. Through the use of CAT scan technology, viewers also see what a mummy looks like after thousands of years.
Author & Illustrator: Aliki
Narrator: Corinne Orr
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1989.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
The Paper Crane
Reading Rainbow (Official)
The Paper Crane | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
A mysterious man enters a restaurant and pays for his dinner with a paper crane that magically comes alive and dances. LeVar celebrates Japanese culture by visiting Gasho of Japan in Central Valley, New York. Surrounded by lush gardens, LeVar dons a kimono and steps into the enchanting world of Japan, exploring the artistry of a Japanese vegetable carver and the art of origami. He takes a side trip to see how paper can be made from old blue jeans, then joins Soh Daiko, an energetic and colorful group of Japanese drummers and dancers, as they perform the celebratory ""festival of the drums.
Author & Illustrator: Molly Bang
Narrator: Keye Luke
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1986.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Abiyoyo
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Abiyoyo | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Folk singer and storyteller Pete Seeger performs this story song based on a South African lullaby and folk story, in which a boy and his father come up with a plan to save the townspeople from the giant, Abiyoyo. LeVar reveals some of the ways a story can be told with music, including an upbeat music video, a rap music performance by the group Run DMC, a professional dance group’s interpretation of “Beauty and the Beast,” and computer animation accompanied by music.
Author: Pete Seeger
Illustrator: Michael Hays
Narrator: Pete Seeger
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1986.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Germs Make Me Sick
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Germs Make Me Sick! | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Our world is shared with millions of microorganisms. In this feature book they explain what germs are, how bacteria and viruses affect the human body, and how the body fights against them. Using a microscope LeVar discovers what germs really look like and talks to lab scientists about germs, and habits that can keep us healthy. A visit to an organic farm illustrates how microorganisms are important to growing food.
Author: Melvin Berger
Illustrator: Marylin Hafner
Narrator: Molly Mandlin
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1986.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Hill of Fire
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Hill of Fire | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Based on a true story of the eruption of Paricutin Volcano in Mexico, a volcano is born in a poor farmer’s corn field. At Volcano National Park in Hawaii, LeVar is only 2,000 feet from a major eruption of Kilauea Volcano. He tells about two kinds of lava and why volcanoes occur. Viewers learn what is inside Earth that causes volcanoes, as LeVar talks to volcanologists who are learning to predict eruptions. LeVar also visits an artist who creates raku pottery.
Author: Thomas P. Lewis
Illustrator: Joan Sandin
Narrator: Fernando Escandon
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1985.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
The Patchwork Quilt
Reading Rainbow (Official)
The Patchwork Quilt | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Using scraps cut from the family’s old clothing, a young girl learns the secret ingredient in her grandma’s special quilt of memories. This episode leads LeVar to the Boston Children’s Museum, where he discovers kids learning to make their own brightly colored patchwork quilts. Then he explores how three generations of an Italian American family work together in their food store making some of the foods that are store specialties.
Author: Valerie Flournoy
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Narrator: Isabel Sanford
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1985.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Liang and the Magic Paintbrush
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Liang and the Magic Paintbrush | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
Taken from an old Chinese legend, a poor boy who longs to paint is given a magic paintbrush that brings everything he paints to life. LeVar explores how art is integrated into many aspects of the Chinese-American culture. He takes a trip to New York City’s Chinatown and visits with an expert in Chinese calligraphy, a stone carver who makes LeVar a name stamp, and a gourmet Chinese chef. He also takes viewers to the New York Institute of Technology where he is shown how to use computer graphics to create art. Then he participates in a Chinese parade.
Author & Illustrator: Demi
Narrator: Lauren Tom
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1983.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Digging Up Dinosaurs
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Digging Up Dinosaurs | Reading Rainbow Complete Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
How dinosaurs evolved, lived and disappeared over 65 million years ago are still intriguing scientists. LeVar seeks a place where archaeologists retrieve dinosaur bones.
This book introduces readers to many types of dinosaurs whose skeletons are seen in museums, and explains how scientists uncover, preserve, and study fossils. LeVar explores our fascination with dinosaurs that lived and then disappeared millions of years ago. Dinosaur riddles are interspersed among interviews with a ranger and a paleontologist who take LeVar on a fossil tour of Dinosaur National Monument.
Author & Illustrator: Aliki
Narrator: Linda Gelman
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1983.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.
Activities and Educational Resources
Tight Times
Reading Rainbow (Official)
Tight Times| Reading Rainbow Full Episode | 40th Anniversary Celebration
What can you do with very little money? That's what the featured book and LeVar must face. To set the tone for the entire series, LeVar shows a friend a wealth of fun at the local library.
This is a touching story of a boy who wants a pet when his family is having financial trouble and must hold the line on expenses. LeVar visits a pet show and discovers all kinds of unusual pets, including pet rocks. He explains that even during “tight times” there are all kinds of ways to have fun -- and that working together and using imagination are what is important.
Author: Barbara Shook Hazen
Illustrator: Trina Schart Hyman
Narrator: Patrick McCaffrey
This episode of Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS in 1983.
We are celebrating Reading Rainbow's 40th anniversary with the release of 40 full episodes of the classic PBS children's series. Look for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday through February 2024 on the Reading Rainbow YouTube Channel.