This is a cross between a costly colouring book, and a guide to the rudiments of computer use. Since most schools use BBCs and Spectrums, there'll be little educational market for this American offering here.

In this country you'll find this useful only as a first guide to CBM machines for children who have not yet got past the crayon age. There are 42 problems to solve, each illustrating features of Basic, and polishing up on maths and English. You start with statements like PRINT, GOTO, and INPUT, and progress to IF, THEN, PEEK and POKE.

As with most conventional workbooks, there's space on the page for answers, but at £12.50 it seems unforgiveable to scrawl over the pages. Crayons will be useful, too, for colouring the large figures used as illustration.

This is what is intended - to get the child learning while having fun. But at this price you might want a book with more lasting appeal. Once coloured in and when the problems are solved, there's little left.

Sandra Grandison