We bought several of the books, the best ones for language development seem (so far) to be the Richard Scarry, Leap Frog & Pooh books. The Learning Life series doesn't have the phonetic or spelling options (on the 1 book in that series we bought).

Design considerations are good too, as it seems I can replace the "pen" with no more than a phillips screwdriver if it gets damaged by an overzealous child. Overall seems nice & well designed. Wasn't too fond of the "Press the green button" bit, but at least it reminded you every time you change the page if you didn't do it right off. Love the headphone jack - I'd advise getting the Radio Shack earphones that are designed to not go too loud & hurt the kids hearing. Great in the car while driving, or on a long plane ride.

Leappad is a fun toy and a very good educational program. Our kids (4 and 5 years old - and 6 years old - see "Special Needs" review below) took to it quickly and began mastering its use within minutes and seemed to enjoy using it for about 15 minutes at a time - which is considerable.

The educational books seem to be well developed, require some thought, and establish basic educational concepts while keeping the story interesting.

Durability:

The unit seems well constructed, and we have no durability complaints as listed in other reviews (our son can be particularly rough with toys).

Books:

The books are well established and varied, but still able to hit the major educational themes and concepts.

Negative:

1.....Base Expensive, Books Somewhat Reasonable
I think it is a little too expensive for some people. Let's face it, kids are expensive, and anyone with children is short on money!

The base unit is a bit expensive but seems well made. Also, it is complex enough so that the cost may be a function of the technology and manufacturing. The books seem to be priced right given the quality and the cost of the electronic insert required for the interactive reading.

2.....Availability
We have had some difficulty getting some desired books because they have been on "back order", or "soon to be available".

Special Needs / Handicapped Child Review:

I was a little skeptical about whether my oldest daughter (6 years old) would enjoy the book / unit. She has severe cerebral palsy and while she is exceptionally bright, she dislikes trying to hold pens, pencils, crayons and things of that sort - I think due to her own frustration. Also, she is exceptionally bright and intellectually very far advanced for her age, so many age appropriate books and movies tend to quickly bore her.

However, I was very pleasantly surprised that she could (and would) hold the pointer, could use it to point to the story and quiz elements and kept playing the game (with my physical help).

The book's content was challenging and interesting enough to keep her attention, and to make her do some intellectual work, but was also easy enough for her to physically use so she did not give up.

(This is not meant to be a general "Special Needs Review", but only the Review for "1 Special Needs Child".)