The Didj is smaller than the Leapster but retains some of its familiarity by using the same button setup with a multidirectional button, home and help buttons, and the A and B buttons.

In Clifford Reading (ages 4-6, $24.99, Scholastic, Leapster, www.leapfrog.com) the mountainous canine and his retinue of human and four-legged friends merrily lead pre-K to kindergarten kids along ...

Leapster LeapPad2 and the Fuhu Nabi2 are both tablets created especially for kids. Both claim to have educational games and content. Both are built tough to withstand accidental dropping.

Some feature such familiar characters as Viacom's SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, while other, more overtly educational titles are Leapfrog originals: Leapster Kindergarten, Leapster ...