It's a good thing Pajama Sam has cleaned up his room -- now he has time to join kids and have some fun! Starting in Pajama Sam's bedroom (where all his adventures begin), kids need only choose a type of project, the project itself, and a style. Kids can make:

• Party Stuff: hats (party hats, crowns, tiaras, etc.), cards, envelopes, paper chain, placemats.
• Useful Stuff: bookmarks, doorknob hangers, growth charts, lists, name tags, picture holders.
• Cards & More: banners, cards, envelopes, pennants, signs.
• Stationery: calendars, certificates, diary pages, letterheads, postcards, envelopes.
• Toys: airplanes, mobiles, pinwheels, masks, trading cards, bracelets, puppets.

Also available are the following activities:

• In Sam-O-Matic, players can change Pajama Sam's facial features, costume, hair style, and what he is holding.
• Kids create their own art work in Paint Pad, then add it to their projects.
• The Storytime Coloring Book contains 5 different customizable storybooks that double as electronic coloring books or printable ones.

The Paint Pad is tremendous fun. This title takes color mixing to a new level with the ability to mix multiple colors. Drawing utensils include the standard differently-sized paintbrushes and paint can, as well as a bubble wand, rainbow brush, spray paint, and whipped cream effect. A wide array of stamps are also available. During any project activity, a design screen pops up and allows kids to add to their projects their saved artwork from the Paint Pad and even downloaded art from the Humongous web site. Kids can add text, wallpaper, and more to their projects, customizing them exactly as they please.

For parents who are somewhat print shop-wary, Humongous has added a parental control feature that will help at least a little. The Parent's Printer Saver helps control paper (the number of pages, pages per day) and ink (by selecting "no background patterns" or "outline only" options).

Nice little touches abound in this title, including a magnifying glass feature that lets any little perfectionist zoom in and examine their work close-up! The artwork is adorable and includes characteristic pudgy and cute Humongous fare. Kids will find loads of familiar characters from Pajama Sam adventures to add to their creations, and children who want to make cards or projects without these characters can do so as well.

For extra fun, challenge your kids to create Pajama Sam's exact shade of green by mixing the colors on their paint palette.

The addition of 3 fun activities helps to round out this title as an enjoyable activity center. Kids loved transforming Pajama Sam into a clown, magician, sports star, and even a hippie, complete with a peace sign! The storybook allows kids to add a few random elements to the story, color the pages onscreen, read the stories on their own or listen to a narrator, or print the stories to create their own storybooks that they can color away from the computer.

Also available are Freddi Fish's One-Stop Fun Shop and Putt-Putt's One Stop Fun Shop. Each title is designed the same but features different popular characters in the Junior Adventures series.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98, a Pentium 90 processor, 16 Mb RAM, and 4X CD ROM. Mac users require a 90 MHz Power PC with 32 Mb RAM, System 7.6.1, and at least 4X CD ROM.

Skills Covered
creativity, imagination.

Educational Value
This title is pure fun and allows kids to imagine, create, design, and be rewarded with useful and fun printed results.

Entertainment Value
All children love to create -- and print -- their own artwork. With help from pre-designed templates, cute and easy-to-use design screens, and a fun paint pad, children can do just that. Familiar and lovable characters add to the appeal, and "extra" activities make this a title kids will enjoy.

Design
Very kid-friendly controls make this title easy to use for even the youngest of designers. Added parental printer controls help save paper and ink.

Replayability
Kids are only limited by their imaginations, and will return to this program time and time again.

Dollar Value
At a retail price of $20 US, this title is a good buy. As with all print shop software for kids, figure in the cost of printer ink, paper, and extra arts and crafts supplies that will be necessary to keep kids happily creating.