Alphabet

by Viva Media

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000056WJY
• Item model number: 26752
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 11, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,193 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Tivola breathes life and whimsy into the alphabet by giving each and every letter a personality of its own. As become a heavenly choir, singing "ahhh" in perfect harmony as keys are stroked or the mouse is dragged. T becomes a kite with a tail, fluttering through the air and making a papery whap! when it crashes to the ground. An i scuttles across the screen, so scared it occasionally leaves its dot behind, while Cs crash cacophonously into one another.

A book by artist Kveta Pacovská inspired Alphabet--the artwork is blocky and abstract, with a lot of reds, oranges, and dark greens. Though these graphics are an unusual contrast to the slick, bright world of mainstream children's programs, don't let the offbeat look of Alphabet scare you. We saw Nintendo-loving preteen boys and nonartistic adults fall under the siren spell of this program.

Alphabet is designed for both PC and Macintosh users, and folks with microphones will enjoy the interactive audio element that allows them to blow letters across the screen or frighten poor i even more by shouting. Operating in Alphabet is simple: clicking on the upper left of the screen makes letters of the alphabet appear in random order, as children's voices recite them. Keyboard strokes will call up whatever letter is hit, while dragging the mouse over the letters renders hypnotic, dance-mix-type audio ("zed, zed, zed"). A click on the upper right corner explores the possibilities hidden within each letter--this is where you find your singing As and crashing Cs. Alphabet is a rich sensory experience--don't expect detailed instructions, games with goals, or even lessons in this land of letters. This alphabet's main strength is that it doesn't spell things out--explorers must discover the magic on their own.

Tivola isn't engaging in public relations puffery when it says the appropriate age range for Alphabet is 3 to 102. This CD-ROM is a work of art that will tickle young and old alike. --Anne Erickson

Amazon.com Product Description

Alphabet is a whimsical journey through the sights and sounds of the ABCs. You control the screen by mouse, keyboard, or microphone as letters and images perform a dance of transformation, accompanied by music, the sounds of nature, and the voices of children around the world. Featured is the work of Czech artist Kveta Pacovská.

Time Out magazine has this to say about Alphabet: "The game is a sound-and-color playground where children ages 3 and up can fall in love with the building blocks of literacy."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Different, November 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Alphabet (CD-ROM)

This is a beautiful program. It is based on a picture book, and it literally allows your child to play with the alphabet in an explosion of color and sound. Many of the graphics resemble a child's collage. The background music is a wonderful ethereal blend of instruments and voices. If you like "world" music, you'll like this. Also this is made by a European company so you might notice some unusual things like Z being called Zed, but that's easy enough to explain to children.

This is very, very, very unlike most children's software on the market so I think it will be a love/hate thing for most people and as is reflected in other reviews in this forum. If you think the cutesy animated characters which drill the ABC's and 123's with lots of structured games and jingles are the greatest thing since sliced bread, then Alphabet is probably not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly unique, artistic, and fun way to introduce your children to the computer and the alphabet then give this a try.

Both my 3 and 6 year old boys love this. And I mean LOVE. Oh the giggles that erupt in my house when you play this. You have two choices you can either choose a letter to play with from the menu or let the computer randomly choose.

The letters do not merely dance, but can be manipulated by your child moving the mouse. Each letter does something different. For example one turns into a pac man like creature and the child moves the mouse capturing the rest of the letters. With A, the letter is stylized to resemble an opera singer and out of her mouth come many A's. Your child moves the letters around to make different sounds, harmonies, and melodies. The letter "i" acts like a flyswatter chasing it's dot around the screen. Each letter does something fun which your child manipulates with the mouse.

Now what about educational value? Children learn mouse skills, action and reaction, and familiarity with the alphabet. And while they do this they are surrounded by fantastic art, animation, and sound which they manipulate. Being able to play with the alphabet leads to interest in reading. This is a highly creative program, which obviously is not for everyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars PURE GENIUS, June 28, 2006

By 

Steven A. Roberts (pasadena , CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alphabet (CD-ROM)

I don't understand the negative reviews of this product and to be quite honest I smell an agenda behind them. My son sat here and was completely taken by this program. The creativity that went into this project is so refreshing and everybody I've shown it to feel's this way as well. This type of learning is about intuition and creative interactive freedom. It doesn't need a manual or directions since there is no winning involved. It makes you see the alphabet like a child again, full of excitement and mystery. I can also suggest trying to find the author's other interactive program "midnight play" which is also full of visual and sonic beauty.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, January 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Alphabet (CD-ROM)

All I have to say is WOW! Alphabet is children's software at its finest. This game not only introduces kids to the letters of the alphabet but also to the mouse and keyboard. I enjoyed playing with my daughter because the graphics are so rich and the music is fascinating. This game is really about art. Like a wonderful picture book, Alphabet has given our family hours of enjoyment.