Rather than worrying about forming an increasingly complex, unbroken line of metallic dust with squeaky knobs for navigation, this sketcher is an easy schoolmate with lights, sounds, and flash cards--all designed as a 15-inch school bus. There are buttons on one side of the bus for drawing, quizzing, problem-solving, and repetition activities. There are also five, two-sided, interactive learning cards, stowed in a side compartment, used as visual aids. Logistically, a large, attached stylus with a magnetic tip allows small hands to draw big letters and words; a sliding eraser makes it easy to start over; and there are only a few loose pieces, so it's a good travel pick. Required: three AA batteries. Diane Beall