<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
educational	B-Application
point-and-click	O
adventure	O
video	O
games	O
which	O
were	O
developed	O
during	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
Mac	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
games	O
are	O
an	O
extension	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
of	O
children	O
's	O
books	O
by	O
Ludwig	O
Bemelmans	O
,	O
which	O
describe	O
the	O
adventures	O
of	O
a	O
young	O
French	O
girl	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
each	O
game	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
guides	O
the	O
player	O
through	O
educational	B-Application
mini-games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
series	O
is	O
set	O
primarily	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
boarding	O
school	O
in	O
Paris	O
(	O
and	O
its	O
surrounding	O
neighborhoods	O
)	O
,	O
some	O
games	O
are	O
set	O
in	O
other	O
European	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
aimed	O
to	O
provide	O
educational	B-Application
material	O
to	O
preschool	O
and	O
early-elementary-grade	O
girls	O
with	O
a	O
recognizable	O
,	O
appealing	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
fall	O
of	O
1995	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
premiere	O
of	O
The	O
New	O
Adventures	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
animated	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
games	O
were	O
published	O
by	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
and	O
Mattel	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
was	O
purchased	O
by	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
1999	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
discontinued	O
when	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
was	O
dissolved	O
and	O
demand	O
lessened	O
for	O
children	O
's	O
point	O
and	O
click	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
release	O
was	O
scheduled	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
Australian	O
ABC	O
TV	O
animated	O
series	O
,	O
The	O
New	O
Adventures	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
Paris	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
follows	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
as	O
she	O
organizes	O
a	O
puppet	O
show	O
to	O
raise	O
money	O
to	O
help	O
her	O
neighbor	O
avoid	O
eviction	O
by	O
his	O
greedy	O
landlord	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
invites	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
rooms	O
and	O
gardens	O
of	O
her	O
boarding	O
school	O
with	O
educational	B-Application
minigames	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	O
Vacation	O
)	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
tracks	O
down	O
a	O
man	O
who	O
stole	O
a	O
genie	B-Language
's	O
magic	O
lamp	O
and	O
travels	O
to	O
Zermatt	O
,	O
Venice	B-Application
and	O
Istanbul	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
:	O
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
series	O
,	O
with	O
games	O
designed	O
for	O
children	O
aged	O
four	O
to	O
eight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
follows	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
on	O
a	O
tour	O
of	O
her	O
Paris	O
neighborhood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
was	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Rainy	I-Operating_System
Day	I-Operating_System
Activities	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
sixth	O
game	O
,	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Catholic	O
boarding	O
school	O
in	O
Paris	O
and	O
follows	O
her	O
as	O
she	O
busies	O
herself	O
during	O
rainy	O
weather	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Reading	I-Operating_System
is	O
also	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
boarding	O
school	O
,	O
where	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
guides	O
the	O
player	O
through	O
activities	O
encouraging	O
reading	O
comprehension	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
imaginary	O
magic	O
attic	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
could	O
travel	O
to	O
a	O
carnival	O
in	O
Venice	B-Application
and	O
visit	O
Egyptian	O
pyramids	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
:	O
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
Reading	O
Deluxe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
:	O
Preschool	O
and	O
Kindergarten	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
series	O
of	O
games	O
for	O
four	O
-	O
to	O
eight-year-olds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
,	O
it	O
follows	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
on	O
a	O
tour	O
of	O
her	O
neighborhood	O
with	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
two-CD-ROM	O
set	O
on	O
July	O
12	O
,	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
discs	O
were	O
also	O
sold	O
separately	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	O
Grade	O
Math	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
2nd	O
Grade	O
Math	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
Louvre	O
and	O
the	O
Musée	O
d'Orsay	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
guides	O
the	O
player	O
through	O
nine	O
works	O
of	O
art	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
is	O
given	O
a	O
Madeline-related	O
name	O
change	O
;	O
the	O
Mona	O
Lisa	O
is	O
reimagined	O
as	O
Mona	O
Clavel	O
after	O
Miss	O
Clavel	O
,	O
the	O
headmistress	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
school	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
60th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
1939	O
publication	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
 '	O
gameplay	O
has	O
been	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
edutainment	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Big	B-Application
Thinkers	I-Application
,	O
Fisher-Price	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
JumpStart	B-Device
and	O
Reader	B-Application
Rabbit	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
interface	O
varied	O
during	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
European	O
Adventures	O
were	O
designed	O
to	O
look	O
(	O
and	O
play	O
)	O
like	O
interactive	O
storybook	O
adventure	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
was	O
designed	O
as	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
in-game	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
requires	O
players	O
to	O
search	O
each	O
screen	O
in	O
first	O
person	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
Myst	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
minigames	O
 '	O
subjects	O
vary	O
;	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Reading	I-Operating_System
,	O
reading	O
comprehension	O
and	O
spelling	O
are	O
taught	O
by	O
completing	O
crossword	O
puzzles	O
,	O
arranging	O
words	O
in	O
alphabetical	O
order	O
and	O
finding	O
synonyms	O
and	O
antonyms	O
for	O
words	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
focuses	O
on	O
building	O
math	O
knowledge	O
;	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
coaches	O
the	O
player	O
through	O
55	O
activities	O
covering	O
a	O
two-year	O
mathematics	O
curriculum	O
,	O
including	O
lessons	O
on	O
"	O
logic	O
,	O
time	O
,	O
money	O
skills	O
,	O
sequencing	O
,	O
fractions	O
,	O
geometry	O
,	O
estimation	O
,	O
and	O
patterns	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
players	O
can	O
click	O
on	O
objects	O
to	O
hear	O
English	O
,	O
French	O
and	O
Spanish	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
review	O
vocabulary	O
by	O
playing	O
"	O
Concentration	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
contains	O
100	O
words	O
in	O
Spanish	O
and	O
French	O
and	O
information	O
about	O
European	O
countries	O
,	O
flags	O
,	O
and	O
culture	O
through	O
an	O
interactive	O
map	O
and	O
repeatable	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In-game	O
activities	O
include	O
dressing	O
up	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
friends	O
(	O
and	O
dog	O
)	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
outfits	O
and	O
creating	O
postcards	O
,	O
masks	O
,	O
door	O
signs	O
and	O
stickers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
design	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
bedroom	O
by	O
changing	O
its	O
wallpaper	O
,	O
carpeting	O
and	O
furniture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Personalized	O
graphics	O
,	O
printable	O
activities	O
and	O
reward	O
certificates	O
are	O
common	O
to	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
players	O
can	O
watch	O
(	O
and	O
sing	O
along	O
with	O
)	O
music	O
videos	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
was	O
targeted	O
at	O
younger	O
players	O
,	O
with	O
age	O
recommendations	O
varying	O
by	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
primarily	O
a	O
single-player	O
series	O
except	O
for	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
includes	O
six	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
with	O
different	O
levels	O
of	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
an	O
in-game	O
helper	O
,	O
providing	O
encouragement	O
and	O
hints	O
supporting	O
the	O
learning	O
process	O
through	O
positive	O
reinforcement	O
;	O
according	O
to	O
an	O
Orlando	O
Sentinel	O
article	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
effervescent	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
there	O
to	O
offer	O
frequent	O
encouragement	O
and	O
reward	O
correct	O
answers	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
,	O
have	O
a	O
user	O
guide	O
with	O
hints	O
and	O
a	O
walkthrough	O
to	O
help	O
a	O
player	O
who	O
is	O
stuck	O
or	O
quickly	O
teach	O
the	O
gameplay	O
to	O
a	O
parent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
boarding	O
school	O
or	O
the	O
surrounding	O
neighborhood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
exceptions	O
are	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
(	O
which	O
includes	O
Italy	O
,	O
Switzerland	O
and	O
Turkey	O
)	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
,	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Louvre	O
and	O
the	O
Musée	O
d'Orsay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Reading	I-Operating_System
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
boarding	O
school	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
also	O
travel	O
to	O
Italy	O
and	O
Egypt	O
from	O
a	O
magic	O
attic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throughout	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
tasked	O
with	O
helping	O
several	O
characters	O
reach	O
their	O
goals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
includes	O
original	O
artwork	O
(	O
emulating	O
watercolor	O
painting	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
backgrounds	O
and	O
full	O
animation	O
;	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
has	O
30	O
background	O
scenes	O
and	O
over	O
10,000	O
frames	O
of	O
original	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
American	O
author	O
Annie	O
Fox	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
co-created	O
the	O
edutainment	O
Putt-Putt	B-Application
series	O
,	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
guide	O
(	O
or	O
teacher	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
throughout	O
the	O
minigames	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
cited	O
as	O
unique	O
for	O
its	O
female	O
protagonist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
dog	O
Genevieve	O
is	O
featured	O
in	O
several	O
games	O
,	O
supplying	O
hints	O
about	O
how	O
to	O
complete	O
an	O
activity	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
and	O
helping	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
search	O
for	O
the	O
genie	B-Language
's	O
magic	O
lamp	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	O
Adventure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
helps	O
Miss	O
Clavel	O
complete	O
equations	O
on	O
an	O
easel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Spanish	O
neighbor	O
,	O
Pepito	O
,	O
is	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
reading	O
comprehension	O
and	O
problem	O
solving	O
"	O
activity	O
"	O
Where	O
's	O
Pepito	O
?	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Reading	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tracey-Lee	O
Smyth	O
voices	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
in	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
reprising	O
her	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christopher	O
Plummer	O
,	O
who	O
narrated	O
six	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
specials	O
on	O
HBO	O
(	O
1989	O
–	O
1991	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
TV	O
series	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
(	O
1993	O
–	O
1994	O
)	O
and	O
The	O
New	O
Adventures	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
(	O
1995	O
)	O
,	O
returned	O
to	O
narrate	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
later	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
other	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
is	O
the	O
narrator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
growth	O
in	O
development	O
of	O
educational	B-Application
computer	O
software	O
was	O
thought	O
to	O
reflect	O
the	O
desire	O
of	O
parents	O
to	O
begin	O
teaching	O
their	O
children	O
at	O
younger	O
ages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
:	O
Preschool	O
and	O
Kindergarten	O
was	O
play-tested	O
by	O
children	O
and	O
their	O
parents	O
at	O
the	O
Redwood	O
City	O
Kid	O
's	O
Club	O
and	O
the	O
Sequoia	O
Children	O
's	O
Center	O
,	O
and	O
reviewers	O
indicated	O
that	O
the	O
developers	O
achieved	O
many	O
of	O
their	O
goals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
up	O
to	O
90	O
percent	O
of	O
all	O
software	O
is	O
bought	O
by	O
(	O
or	O
for	O
)	O
boys	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
was	O
produced	O
by	O
one	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
handful	O
of	O
companies	O
...	O
taking	O
a	O
stab	O
at	O
games	O
they	O
hope	O
will	O
appeal	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
half	O
of	O
the	O
population	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	O
Harrow	O
Jr.	O
of	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
recommended	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
to	O
parents	O
as	O
"	O
educational	B-Application
software	O
...	O
cloaked	O
in	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
her	O
book	O
,	O
Lesson	O
Plans	O
for	O
the	O
Busy	O
Librarian	O
,	O
Joyce	O
Keeling	O
described	O
how	O
to	O
incorporate	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video	I-Operating_System
games	I-Operating_System
into	O
school	O
curricula	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
using	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
in	O
math	O
class	O
)	O
;	O
according	O
to	O
Priscilla	O
Bennett	O
of	O
School	O
Library	O
Journal	O
,	O
the	O
games	O
"	O
should	O
be	O
popular	O
in	O
schools	O
,	O
homes	O
,	O
and	O
public	O
libraries	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
school	O
in	O
Hope	O
Meadows	O
,	O
Illinois	O
offered	O
the	O
program	O
as	O
a	O
reward	O
for	O
children	O
who	O
had	O
read	O
for	O
15	O
minutes	O
,	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
:	O
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
Reading	O
Deluxe	O
was	O
a	O
resource	O
at	O
the	O
Washington-Centerville	O
Public	O
Library	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Education	O
lecturer	O
Tom	O
Lowrie	O
wrote	O
in	O
a	O
paper	O
,	O
"	O
Using	O
Technology	O
to	O
Enhance	O
Children	O
's	O
Spatial	O
Sense	O
"	O
,	O
that	O
the	O
interactive	O
program	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
is	O
commonly	O
used	O
to	O
test	O
"	O
for	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
visual	O
and	O
spatial	O
understandings	O
"	O
in	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sebastian	O
Dortch	O
of	O
the	O
St.	O
Petersburg	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
when	O
his	O
three-year-old	O
son	O
woke	O
up	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
that	O
he	O
wanted	O
to	O
"	O
play	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
"	O
;	O
Dortch	O
considered	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
ringing	O
endorsement	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joe	O
Szadkowski	O
of	O
the	O
Washington	O
Post	O
wrote	O
that	O
each	O
CD	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
covered	O
one	O
year	O
of	O
educational	B-Application
material	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Software	O
and	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
Reviews	O
on	O
File	O
,	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
games	O
contained	O
the	O
"	O
basic	O
elements	O
of	O
 [ the ] 	O
school	O
curriculum	O
"	O
;	O
it	O
cited	O
Philip	O
Bishop	O
's	O
Family	O
PC	O
review	O
,	O
which	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
"	O
constitute	O
two	O
complete	O
years	O
of	O
learning	O
,	O
covering	O
pre-reading	O
,	O
pre-math	O
,	O
thinking	O
skills	O
,	O
and	O
creativity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chicago	O
Tribune	O
said	O
about	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
that	O
"	O
the	O
games	O
build	O
on	O
each	O
other	O
for	O
cumulative	O
learning	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Linda	O
Jewell	O
Carr	O
's	O
paper	O
,	O
"	O
Instructional	O
Programs	O
Used	O
in	O
Home	O
Schools	O
in	O
Five	O
North	O
Carolina	O
Counties	O
"	O
,	O
found	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
instructional	O
programs	O
among	O
those	O
played	O
by	O
participants	O
in	O
the	O
exploratory	O
study	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Washington	O
Post	O
,	O
Beth	O
Berselli	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
"	O
big	O
sellers	O
"	O
which	O
"	O
incorporate	O
a	O
more	O
educational	B-Application
tone	O
"	O
than	O
their	O
contemporaries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Julie	O
Strasberg	O
of	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
wrote	O
that	O
most	O
tasks	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
"	O
involve	O
simple	O
observation	O
...	O
 [ and ] 	O
kids	O
may	O
not	O
learn	O
a	O
tremendous	O
amount	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
(	O
including	O
those	O
by	O
Mattel	O
,	O
Polaroid	O
,	O
Hasbro	O
and	O
Disney	O
)	O
were	O
accused	O
of	O
reinforcing	O
negative	O
stereotypes	O
with	O
themes	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
color	O
pink	O
,	O
makeovers	O
,	O
jewelry	O
,	O
ponies	O
and	O
kitchens	O
,	O
Katie	O
Hafner	O
of	O
the	O
Chicago	O
Tribune	O
and	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
American	B-Application
Girl	I-Application
series	O
achieved	O
the	O
"	O
lofty	O
goal	O
"	O
of	O
providing	O
young	O
players	O
with	O
content	O
which	O
was	O
"	O
carefully	O
designed	O
 [ and ] 	O
thoughtful	O
"	O
–	O
popular	O
and	O
"present[ing]	O
players	O
with	O
some	O
intellectual	O
substance	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
an	O
Orlando	O
Sentinel	O
article	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Barbie	B-Application
software	O
...	O
encouraged	O
other	O
software	O
makers	O
to	O
come	O
out	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
programs	O
just	O
for	O
girls	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creative	O
Wonders	O
product	O
manager	O
Jennifer	O
Rush	O
called	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
"	O
a	O
good	O
role	O
model	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
an	O
assertive	O
,	O
spunky	O
personality	O
and	O
...	O
a	O
logical	O
fit	O
in	O
the	O
interactive	O
world	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rush	O
cited	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
center	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
educational	B-Application
games	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
as	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
reach	O
young	O
girls	O
who	O
are	O
"	O
often	O
ignored	O
by	O
multimedia	O
developers	O
"	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
fulfilled	O
the	O
"	O
real	O
opportunity	O
in	O
multimedia	O
to	O
develop	O
titles	O
that	O
appeal	O
to	O
girls	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
girls	O
tend	O
to	O
want	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
storyline	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Daily	O
Gazettes	O
Susan	O
Reimer	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
games	O
helped	O
revive	O
girls	O
 '	O
interest	O
in	O
computers	O
and	O
changed	O
their	O
conception	O
of	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
that	O
solitary	O
,	O
isolating	O
experience	O
"	O
;	O
the	O
games	O
are	O
:	O
"	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
idea	O
that	O
girls	O
learn	O
,	O
play	O
and	O
relate	O
to	O
each	O
other	O
in	O
a	O
different	O
way	O
than	O
boys	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
James	O
Madge	O
of	O
the	O
Toronto	O
Star	O
called	O
the	O
games	O
"	O
edutainment	O
...	O
geared	O
at	O
girls	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Selling	O
to	O
Kids	O
said	O
that	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
was	O
"	O
targeting	O
girls	O
"	O
and	O
"get[ing]	O
girls	O
thinking	O
"	O
with	O
its	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
article	O
"	O
Engaging	O
Girls	O
with	O
Computers	O
Through	O
Software	O
Games	O
"	O
noted	O
that	O
since	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
"	O
several	O
companies	O
have	O
attempted	O
to	O
market	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
software	O
games	O
specifically	O
for	O
girls	O
"	O
and	O
Broderbund	O
's	O
Carmen	B-Application
Sandiego	I-Application
and	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
's	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
were	O
two	O
rare	O
examples	O
of	O
"market[ing]	O
girl	O
games	O
that	O
were	O
designed	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
boys	O
as	O
well	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Software	O
and	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
Reviews	O
on	O
File	O
said	O
that	O
reviewers	O
thought	O
the	O
games	O
would	O
"	O
engage	O
both	O
boys	O
and	O
girls	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Kiplinger	O
's	O
Personal	O
Finance	O
reviewer	O
found	O
an	O
activity	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
where	O
players	O
have	O
to	O
redecorate	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
room	O
"	O
excruciatingly	O
painful	O
"	O
for	O
a	O
male	O
tester	O
,	O
who	O
denied	O
a	O
female	O
tester	O
's	O
claim	O
that	O
he	O
disliked	O
the	O
"	O
girl	O
's	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
boys	O
in	O
the	O
HomePC	O
kids	O
 '	O
lab	O
did	O
not	O
like	O
the	O
"	O
sweet	O
"	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
TV	O
show	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
eager	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
press	O
release	O
for	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
senior	O
vice	O
president	O
of	O
marketing	O
Andy	O
Young	O
described	O
the	O
series	O
as	O
"	O
imaginative	O
product	O
"	O
for	O
girls	O
to	O
play	O
with	O
"	O
their	O
beloved	O
and	O
adventurous	O
friend	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
...	O
that	O
children	O
love	O
and	O
parents	O
trust	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ivey	O
and	O
Kemper	O
noted	O
that	O
boys	O
spent	O
more	O
time	O
on	O
computers	O
than	O
girls	O
,	O
and	O
girls	O
were	O
missing	O
out	O
on	O
learning	O
opportunities	O
;	O
the	O
Daily	O
News	O
identified	O
a	O
trend	O
toward	O
"	O
high	O
skill	O
,	O
not	O
high	O
kill	O
"	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Nancy	O
Drew	O
games	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Terri	O
Payne	O
Butler	O
of	O
The	O
Horn	O
Book	O
Magazine	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
offered	O
a	O
solution	O
for	O
"	O
every	O
young	O
girl	O
who	O
wants	O
to	O
play	O
computer	O
games	O
but	O
has	O
little	O
interest	O
in	O
shootem-up	O
,	O
take-em-out	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Ninja	B-Application
Turtle	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nancy	O
Churnin	O
of	O
the	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
Times	O
wrote	O
that	O
a	O
child	O
's	O
comfort	O
level	O
can	O
increase	O
if	O
their	O
educational	B-Application
content	O
has	O
familiar	O
characters	O
like	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donna	O
Ladd	O
of	O
MacHome	O
Journal	O
wrote	O
that	O
a	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
game	O
of	O
"	O
Concentration	O
"	O
had	O
a	O
subtle	O
,	O
positive	O
message	O
by	O
asking	O
players	O
to	O
match	O
images	O
such	O
as	O
female	O
forest	O
rangers	O
,	O
police	O
officers	O
and	O
newspaper	O
reporters	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
few	O
portraying	O
traditional	O
gender	O
roles	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Retailing	O
Today	O
article	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
was	O
"	O
among	O
the	O
few	O
titles	O
specifically	O
aimed	O
at	O
girls	O
that	O
seems	O
ready	O
for	O
the	O
mass	O
market	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
Daily	O
News	O
compared	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
to	O
the	O
storybook	O
video	O
game	O
Chop	B-Application
Suey	I-Application
;	O
both	O
had	O
heroines	O
and	O
"	O
brightly	O
colored	O
,	O
naive-style	O
illustrations	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
targeted	O
at	O
all	O
children	O
despite	O
"	O
obvious	O
feminine	O
appeal	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shelley	O
Campbell	O
,	O
education	O
coordinator	O
at	O
Wiz	O
Zone	O
Computers	O
for	O
Kids	O
in	O
Vancouver	O
,	O
recommended	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
which	O
appealed	O
to	O
girls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creative	O
Wonders	O
president	O
Greg	O
Bestick	O
envisioned	O
an	O
educational	B-Application
product	O
which	O
would	O
"	O
excite	O
the	O
emotions	O
,	O
stimulate	O
learning	O
,	O
and	O
provide	O
entertaining	O
,	O
yet	O
valuable	O
lessons	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
book	O
and	O
its	O
sequels	O
remained	O
popular	O
decades	O
after	O
its	O
1939	O
publication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1995	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
was	O
a	O
"	O
cultural	O
icon	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
widely	O
licensed	O
character	O
in	O
dolls	O
,	O
games	O
and	O
videos	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
internationally	O
recognized	O
"	O
with	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
Elmo	B-General_Concept
and	O
Schoolhouse	O
Rock	O
's	O
Lucky	O
Sampson	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DIC	O
Entertainment	O
had	O
bought	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
content	O
rights	O
from	O
Ludwig	O
Bemelmans	O
 '	O
estate	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
and	O
produced	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
TV	O
series	O
for	O
Home	O
Box	O
Office	O
and	O
The	O
Family	O
Channel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pole	O
acquired	O
electronic	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
Vortex	O
,	O
Lil	O
 '	O
Gangster	O
partner	O
Jay	O
Francis	O
produced	O
the	O
animated	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
for	O
DIC	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
merger	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
and	O
Vortex	O
obtained	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
license	O
from	O
DIC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
first	O
project	O
of	O
the	O
video-game	O
series	O
,	O
was	O
created	O
on	O
a	O
$	O
500,000	O
budget	O
and	O
required	O
sales	O
of	O
60,000	O
to	O
break	O
even	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
cost	O
Vortex	O
$	O
300,000	O
to	O
produce	O
later	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video	I-Operating_System
games	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
game	O
artists	O
worked	O
double	O
shifts	O
,	O
sharing	O
computers	O
,	O
desks	O
and	O
phone	O
lines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Pole	O
,	O
"	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
does	O
n't	O
belong	O
on	O
the	O
Sony	O
Playstation	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
was	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
 '	O
"	O
flagship	O
product	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
,	O
the	O
Learning	O
Company	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
December	O
1997	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
acquired	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
from	O
Capital	O
Cities-ABC	O
and	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
acquisition	O
added	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
to	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
capitalized	O
on	O
demand	O
for	O
educational	B-Application
software	O
by	O
purchasing	O
franchises	O
such	O
as	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
from	O
smaller	O
companies	O
,	O
and	O
chief	O
executive	O
Michael	O
Perik	O
wanted	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
incorporate	O
recognizable	O
brands	O
into	O
its	O
catalogue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
published	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video-game	O
series	O
under	O
its	O
LearningBuddies	O
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
European	O
Adventures	O
,	O
were	O
published	O
under	O
the	O
SmartSaver	O
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
established	O
LearningBuddies	O
for	O
"	O
developmental	O
reading	O
and	O
math	O
skills	O
programs	O
"	O
based	O
on	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
other	O
characters	O
from	O
children	O
's	O
literature	O
and	O
cartoons	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Dr.	O
Seuss	O
and	O
the	O
Winnie	O
the	O
Pooh	O
franchise	O
,	O
to	O
attract	O
a	O
younger	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
senior	O
vice	O
president	O
of	O
marketing	O
Andy	O
Young	O
wanted	O
children	O
to	O
"	O
learn	O
important	O
skills	O
from	O
their	O
all-time	O
favorite	O
friends	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Terri	O
Payne	O
Butler	O
of	O
The	O
Horn	O
Book	O
Magazine	O
wrote	O
that	O
popular	O
children	O
's	O
characters	O
(	O
including	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
)	O
had	O
entered	O
the	O
"	O
burgeoning	O
world	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
founder	O
Kevin	O
O'Leary	O
said	O
in	O
1998	O
:	O
"	O
We	O
have	O
recently	O
acquired	O
widely	O
known	O
brands	O
such	O
as	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
Cyber	O
Patrol	O
to	O
our	O
stable	O
of	O
strong	O
brand	O
equities	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
director	O
of	O
corporate	O
communications	O
Susan	O
Getgood	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
more	O
we	O
give	O
 [ players ] 	O
familiar	O
things	O
,	O
the	O
better	O
they	O
learn	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
O'Leary	O
had	O
wanted	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
to	O
"	O
produce	O
products	O
to	O
service	O
that	O
40	O
percent	O
of	O
the	O
market	O
that	O
has	O
n't	O
bought	O
educational	B-Application
software	O
because	O
of	O
pricing	O
issues	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
budget	O
line	O
of	O
"	O
platinum	O
"	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
products	O
;	O
the	O
company	O
became	O
known	O
for	O
aggressively	O
driving	O
down	O
the	O
development	O
costs	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
laying	O
off	O
employees	O
of	O
the	O
companies	O
it	O
acquired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
1997	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
products	O
were	O
manufactured	O
by	O
BMG	O
manufacturing	O
division	O
Sonopress	O
and	O
orders	O
were	O
fulfilled	O
by	O
BMG	O
Distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robin	O
Ray	O
of	O
the	O
Boston	O
Herald	O
wrote	O
in	O
1998	O
that	O
the	O
repackaging	O
of	O
two	O
games	O
into	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Thinking	O
Games	O
Deluxe	O
was	O
a	O
bargain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
at	O
a	O
higher	O
price	O
three	O
years	O
earlier	O
,	O
but	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Rainy	I-Operating_System
Day	I-Operating_System
Activities	I-Operating_System
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
were	O
introduced	O
in	O
late	O
1998	O
for	O
the	O
holiday	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
(	O
when	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
was	O
released	O
)	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
was	O
accused	O
of	O
being	O
"	O
burdened	O
with	O
tired	O
brands	O
"	O
,	O
cutting	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
and	O
focusing	O
on	O
repackaging	O
old	O
products	O
through	O
convenience	O
stores	O
and	O
drugstores	O
rather	O
than	O
investing	O
in	O
new	O
software	O
by	O
the	O
development	O
companies	O
it	O
had	O
acquired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
CEO	O
Jill	O
Barad	O
made	O
a	O
takeover	O
bid	O
to	O
overcome	O
a	O
downward	O
slide	O
in	O
her	O
company	O
's	O
stock	O
price	O
,	O
"seiz[ing]	O
on	O
educational	B-Application
software	O
as	O
a	O
driver	O
of	O
future	O
growth	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
's	O
Barbie	B-Application
had	O
been	O
successful	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
wanted	O
to	O
expand	O
its	O
product	O
line	O
to	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
series	O
 '	O
"	O
well-developed	O
characters	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
'	O
s	O
May	O
1999	O
acquisition	O
by	O
Mattel	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
loss	O
of	O
nearly	O
$300	O
million	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
edutainment	O
boom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
educational	B-Application
design	O
department	O
manager	O
Toby	O
Levenson	O
said	O
that	O
edutainment	O
had	O
become	O
"	O
a	O
toxic	O
word	O
"	O
after	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
merger	O
with	O
Mattel	O
,	O
and	O
Businessweek	O
called	O
the	O
acquisition	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
worst	O
deals	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video-game	O
series	O
was	O
cancelled	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	I-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
2nd	I-Operating_System
Grade	I-Operating_System
Math	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
two	O
years	O
later	O
by	O
Mattel	O
(	O
the	O
last	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
before	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
closed	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video-game	O
assets	O
were	O
distributed	O
among	O
several	O
companies	O
at	O
the	O
turn	O
of	O
the	O
21st	O
century	O
;	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
became	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Mattel	O
's	O
game	O
division	O
,	O
Mattel	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
edutainment	O
development	O
company	O
Riverdeep	O
acquired	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
Encore	O
Software	O
(	O
a	O
privately	O
held	O
home-entertainment	O
and	O
educational	B-Application
publisher	O
)	O
acquired	O
the	O
publishing	O
rights	O
for	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
re-released	O
the	O
software	O
under	O
its	O
brand	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Riverdeep	O
Group	O
bought	O
Harcourt	O
Education	O
from	O
Reed	B-Library
Elsevier	I-Library
;	O
the	O
resulting	O
company	O
was	O
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Houghton	O
Mifflin	O
Harcourt	O
owns	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video-game	O
license	O
,	O
and	O
Navarre	O
Corporation	O
holds	O
the	O
publishing	O
rights	O
or	O
they	O
reverted	O
to	O
HMH	O
after	O
the	O
games	O
went	O
out	O
of	O
print	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
HMH	O
has	O
not	O
attempted	O
to	O
resurrect	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
unlike	O
the	O
similarly-acquired	O
Carmen	B-Application
Sandiego	I-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
revived	O
in	O
2015	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creative	O
Wonders	O
conducted	O
several	O
promotional	O
campaigns	O
for	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
1995	O
holiday	O
season	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ABC-TV	O
premiere	O
of	O
the	O
Saturday-morning	O
cartoon	O
The	O
New	O
Adventures	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
in	O
September	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
software	O
with	O
Bump	O
in	O
the	O
Night	O
and	O
Free	O
Willy	O
,	O
video-game	O
adaptions	O
of	O
ABC	O
's	O
1995	O
fall	O
children's-programming	O
lineup	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Promotions	O
accompanied	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
to	O
cross-merchandise	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
title	O
and	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
television	O
show	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
create-your-own-puppet-show-scene	O
contest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Computer	O
Retail	O
Week	O
,	O
the	O
initial	O
shipment	O
of	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
included	O
a	O
32-piece	O
kit	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
napkins	O
,	O
plates	O
and	O
invitations	O
and	O
bookmark	O
giveaways	O
were	O
also	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
promotion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
collaborated	O
with	O
Western	O
Publishing	O
and	O
Sony	O
Wonder	O
to	O
promote	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
CD-ROMs	B-Device
and	O
other	O
aspects	O
with	O
a	O
shopping-mall	O
tour	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
was	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Aspire	O
Games	O
Arcade	O
for	O
the	O
Acer	B-Device
Aspire	I-Device
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
four	O
in	O
a	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
where	O
customers	O
received	O
a	O
free	O
video	O
cassette	O
with	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
was	O
introduced	O
at	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
in	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
panel	O
discussion	O
,	O
"	O
Case	O
Study	O
:	O
Vortex	O
Media	O
Arts	O
 '	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
,	O
From	O
Development	O
to	O
Ship	O
"	O
,	O
was	O
moderated	O
by	O
Richard	O
Kahlenberg	O
at	O
the	O
1996	O
Children	O
's	O
Interactive	O
Media	O
Festival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
1996	O
holiday	O
season	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
bundled	O
plush	O
toys	O
with	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
was	O
featured	O
on	O
Australia	O
's	O
ABC	O
Online	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
European	O
Adventures	O
game	O
included	O
a	O
free	O
trial	O
of	O
America	O
Online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-October	O
1997	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
Buy	O
One	O
,	O
Get	O
One	O
Free	O
"	O
offer	O
for	O
its	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
November	O
4	O
,	O
Computer	O
City	O
introduced	O
a	O
"	O
Just	O
For	O
Girls	O
"	O
software	O
section	O
with	O
entertainment	O
and	O
educational	B-Application
titles	O
for	O
girls	O
aged	O
4	O
–	O
13	O
;	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
was	O
among	O
its	O
first	O
series	O
with	O
products	O
and	O
in-store	O
demonstrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
summer	O
1998	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
Times	O
article	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
:	O
Preschool	O
&	O
Kindergarten	O
would	O
be	O
attractive	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
live-action	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
film	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
and	O
Noodle	O
Kidoodle	O
collaborated	O
to	O
celebrate	O
the	O
60th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
publication	O
,	O
and	O
children	O
could	O
play	O
demo	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video	I-Operating_System
games	I-Operating_System
in	O
stores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
donated	O
hundreds	O
of	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
to	O
children	O
without	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
learning	O
tools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
collaborated	O
with	O
the	O
educational-store	O
chain	O
Zany	O
Brainy	O
on	O
a	O
Madeline-themed	O
event	O
at	O
which	O
children	O
interacted	O
with	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
latest	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buena	O
Vista	O
Home	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
offered	O
purchasers	O
of	O
the	O
television	O
film	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
:	O
Lost	O
in	O
Paris	O
and	O
an	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
game	O
series	O
a	O
free	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
software	O
program	O
by	O
mail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
26	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
announced	O
plans	O
to	O
introduce	O
new	O
software	O
(	O
including	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	O
&	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
Math	O
)	O
at	O
the	O
May	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
in	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
1995	O
,	O
Creative	O
Wonders	O
announced	O
that	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
was	O
as	O
commercially	O
successful	O
as	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
best-selling	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
had	O
total	O
sales	O
of	O
$	O
500,000	O
from	O
September	O
1995	O
to	O
June	O
1997	O
,	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
was	O
the	O
second-bestselling	O
female-targeted	O
brand	O
(	O
after	O
Mattel	O
's	O
Barbie	B-Application
video-game	O
series	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
:	I-Operating_System
A	I-Operating_System
Learning	I-Operating_System
Journey	I-Operating_System
was	O
the	O
second-most-popular	O
Macintosh	B-Device
title	O
at	O
11	O
Software	O
Etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
Babbage	O
's	O
stores	O
in	O
the	O
Washington	O
,	O
D.C.	O
area	O
for	O
the	O
week	O
ending	O
on	O
March	O
2	O
,	O
1997	O
;	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
educational	B-Application
title	O
at	O
the	O
stores	O
for	O
the	O
week	O
ending	O
on	O
November	O
22	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	I-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Magnificent	I-Operating_System
Puppet	I-Operating_System
Show	I-Operating_System
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
European	O
Adventure	O
were	O
among	O
the	O
year	O
's	O
best-selling	O
educational-software	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Karen	O
Wickre	O
reported	O
in	O
Upside	O
in	O
January	O
1998	O
that	O
a	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
game	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
top	O
titles	O
from	O
the	O
Chinese	O
distribution	O
and	O
development	O
company	O
Mediamax	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	O
Data	O
,	O
four	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
ten	O
girls	O
 '	O
video	O
games	O
in	O
1998	O
were	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
December	O
,	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
(	O
formerly	O
SoftKey	B-General_Concept
)	O
Asia-Pacific	O
managing	O
director	O
Tony	O
Hughes	O
said	O
that	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
Companion	O
was	O
outselling	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
at	O
Target	O
Australia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	O
Data	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
1st	O
Grade	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
Math	O
was	O
the	O
ninth-bestselling	O
educational	B-Application
title	O
at	O
13	O
software	O
retail	O
chains	O
(	O
57	O
percent	O
of	O
the	O
U.S.	O
market	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
July	O
17	O
,	O
1999	O
and	O
the	O
seventh-bestselling	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
August	O
21	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Preschool/Kindergarten	O
(	O
119,721	O
units	O
,	O
$2.6	O
million	O
)	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
(	O
106,392	O
units	O
,	O
$1.7	O
million	O
)	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
Deluxe	O
(	O
102,164	O
units	O
,	O
$2.0	O
million	O
)	O
and	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Classroom	O
1st/2nd	O
(	O
101,331	O
units	O
,	O
$2.2	O
million	O
)	O
were	O
ranked	O
sixth	O
,	O
eighth	O
,	O
ninth	O
and	O
10th	O
in	O
sales	O
and	O
revenue	O
for	O
1998	O
–	O
1999	O
girls	O
 '	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
video-game	O
series	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
as	O
an	O
effective	O
example	O
of	O
edutainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joe	O
Chidley	O
wrote	O
in	O
Maclean	O
's	O
that	O
the	O
storyline	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
European	I-Operating_System
Adventures	I-Operating_System
is	O
"	O
simple	O
...	O
and	O
silly	O
without	O
being	O
stupid	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
engaging	O
...	O
fanciful	O
,	O
surprise-filled	O
"	O
moments	O
for	O
children	O
and	O
humor	O
for	O
parents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
praised	O
for	O
making	O
its	O
educational	B-Application
content	O
subtly	O
entertaining	O
,	O
teaching	O
children	O
life	O
skills	O
such	O
as	O
using	O
different	O
currencies	O
and	O
acquiring	O
a	O
passport	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
developing	O
creative-writing	O
skills	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
some	O
reviewers	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
improved	O
with	O
more	O
activities	O
and	O
educational	B-Application
minigames	O
in	O
later	O
releases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
Discount	O
Store	O
News	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
1996	O
E3	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
had	O
"	O
sharper	O
 [ and ] 	O
more	O
detailed	O
graphics	O
than	O
have	O
been	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
gave	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
its	O
Education/fun	O
5	O
–	O
9	O
age	O
group	O
award	O
in	O
an	O
analysis	O
of	O
500	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
the	O
Association	O
of	O
Educational	B-Application
Publishers	O
gave	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Reading	O
1st	O
and	O
2nd	O
Grade	O
its	O
Golden	O
Lamp	O
Award	O
in	O
the	O
home-learning	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Newsday	O
reviewer	O
wrote	O
that	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
Thinking	I-Operating_System
Games	I-Operating_System
,	O
"	O
the	O
music	O
is	O
dull	O
(	O
and	O
not	O
the	O
least	O
bit	O
French	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
drawings	O
are	O
homogenized	O
,	O
the	O
animation	O
is	O
about	O
as	O
basic	O
as	O
it	O
gets	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
have	O
noted	O
the	O
voice	O
acting	O
for	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
and	O
its	O
impact	O
on	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Larry	O
Blasko	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
constant	O
giggling	O
,	O
pirouetting	O
,	O
skipping	O
and	O
smiling	O
reflected	O
the	O
games	O
 '	O
intended	O
female	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
authors	O
of	O
two	O
SuperKids	O
reviews	O
found	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
accent	O
and	O
"	O
encouraging	O
,	O
praising	O
,	O
and	O
giggling	O
"	O
attitude	O
endearing	O
,	O
the	O
New	O
Straits	O
Times	O
Rhonwyn	O
Hwan-Chi	O
wondered	O
if	O
they	O
would	O
deter	O
a	O
male	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AllGame	O
's	O
Lisa	O
Karen	O
Savignano	O
compared	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
repeated	O
phrases	O
congratulating	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
"	O
fingernails	O
down	O
a	O
blackboard	O
"	O
and	O
suggested	O
"invest[ing]	O
in	O
a	O
good	O
pair	O
of	O
earplugs	O
"	O
before	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Katherine	O
Foran	O
wrote	O
that	O
players	O
might	O
tire	O
of	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
"	O
phony	O
accent	O
and	O
endless	O
saccharine	O
praise	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Daily	O
Gazette	O
Lynne	O
Touhy	O
called	O
the	O
repetition	O
of	O
"	O
you	O
are	O
so	O
clever	O
"	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
"	O
French-accentuated	O
,	O
high-pitched	O
"	O
voice	O
a	O
deterrent	O
to	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robin	O
Ray	O
praised	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
characterization	O
,	O
but	O
her	O
faux	O
French	O
accent	O
annoyed	O
his	O
young	O
play-testers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeffrey	O
Branzburg	O
wrote	O
in	O
Technology	O
&	O
Learning	O
that	O
young	O
players	O
may	O
have	O
difficulty	O
understanding	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
French	O
accent	O
,	O
a	O
Macworld	O
wrote	O
that	O
her	O
"	O
exaggerated	O
French	O
accent	O
can	O
be	O
hard	O
on	O
the	O
ears	O
 [ and ] 	O
annoying	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
New	O
Straits	O
Times	O
Rhonwyn	O
Hwan-Chi	O
wrote	O
that	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
spoke	O
"	O
flawless	O
(	O
although	O
accented	O
)	O
English	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
Herald	O
Sun	O
reviewer	O
believed	O
that	O
the	O
character	O
spoke	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
worst	O
fake	O
French	O
accent	O
imaginable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
characterization	O
received	O
a	O
mixed	O
response	O
from	O
video-game	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
book	O
,	O
New	O
Trends	O
in	O
Software	O
Methodologies	O
,	O
Tools	O
and	O
Techniques	O
,	O
Hamido	O
Fujita	O
and	O
Paul	O
Johannesson	O
called	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
a	O
role	O
model	O
for	O
girls	O
because	O
of	O
her	O
use	O
of	O
problem	O
solving	O
,	O
critical	O
thinking	O
and	O
logic	O
in	O
the	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
The	O
Record	O
,	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
"	O
spirit	O
and	O
enthusiasm	O
are	O
well-suited	O
to	O
 [ her ] 	O
coaching	O
and	O
teaching	O
role	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Philip	O
Bishop	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
had	O
the	O
"	O
bounce	O
and	O
charm	O
"	O
of	O
other	O
portions	O
of	O
the	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kathy	O
Yakal	O
of	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
warmth	O
as	O
a	O
host	O
"	O
made	O
the	O
series	O
"	O
a	O
nice	O
,	O
gentle	O
activity	O
platform	O
for	O
younger	O
children	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Computer	O
Shopper	O
Wayne	O
Kawamoto	O
called	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
a	O
"	O
feisty	O
female	O
lead	O
"	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
potentially	O
"	O
equally	O
enjoyable	O
for	O
boys	O
and	O
girls	O
"	O
,	O
Amee	O
Abel	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
series	O
is	O
"	O
especially	O
appealing	O
to	O
girls	O
"	O
because	O
of	O
its	O
protagonist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
from	O
Children	O
's	O
Software	O
Revue	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
"	O
popular	O
with	O
girls	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
SuperKids	O
writer	O
called	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
"	O
the	O
epitome	O
of	O
the	O
strong	O
young	O
female	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
book	O
,	O
Packaging	O
Girlhood	O
:	O
Rescuing	O
Our	O
Daughters	O
from	O
Marketers	O
 '	O
Schemes	O
,	O
Sharon	O
Lamb	O
and	O
Lyn	O
Mikel	O
Brown	O
criticized	O
the	O
decorating	O
activities	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Rainy	O
Day	O
Activities	O
:	O
"	O
On	O
what	O
planet	O
would	O
brave	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
give	O
a	O
hoot	O
about	O
the	O
color	O
of	O
the	O
living	O
room	O
wallpaper	O
?	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Shopper	O
and	O
SuperKids	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
found	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
activity	O
in	O
Madeline	B-Operating_System
's	O
Thinking	O
Games	O
was	O
"	O
Let	O
's	O
Decorate	O
"	O
;	O
according	O
to	O
SuperKids	O
,	O
testers	O
"	O
frequently	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
room	O
to	O
rearrange	O
items	O
or	O
totally	O
obliterate	O
their	O
designs	O
and	O
begin	O
anew	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
