Pop

“What fun is that? Let me tell you all of the things that numbers can do! I'm Pop the Math Explorer, and I'll lead you on a journey... to discover number powers in a math world full of learning. You'll learn fractions, measurement, multiplication, and addition! You will journey through 10 Math Lands and you'll meet the Math Magician!”

―Pop, introduction of Interactive Math Journey

Pop is a character first introduced in Reader Rabbit 1 Deluxe as a square pad object. His name is an acronym for "Program Options Pad". In Interactive Math Journey, he often appears as a little anthropomorphic bug that joins Tally Cat and Mat the Mouse on an adventure. He appears in all mid-90s games since his debut except in Reader Rabbit Math Adventures Ages 6-9 where he is replaced by a conventional map.

He serves as the Program Options Menu, a menu that serves for modifying game settings, viewing additional features such as Educational Benefits and Credits, and exiting or resuming the game. In games starting from 2001, he was replaced by a normal options menu, which is accessible from the map.

Appearance[]

Pop usually appears in his square pad form, but may also be a pink blob while resting. He is colored beige in his debut appearance, but has been changed to pink in later games. In Interactive Math Journey only, he can be a small anthropomorphic bug.

Personality[]

He is usually a silent character. However, when he's in anthropomorphic bug form, he is an enthusiastic guy who loves to enlighten all of his friends about exploration and discovery, and gets excited whenever the player accomplishes progress throughout Interactive Math Journey.

Role[]

Normally, Pop's role is to serve as the Program Options Menu, presenting it in his pad form, thus allowing the user to change settings for the game, change settings, or exit or resume the game. In Reader Rabbit 1 Deluxe and later games, he appears as a program options menu for the player and acts as Mat's companion. He serves as the Sign-in Screen for some of the 90s games.

He also made an appearance in Interactive Math Journey taking both Tally Cat and Mat the Mouse on a journey as a little bug, showing them the wonders of mathematics all the way to Magic Math Mountain.

Game appearances[]

Note: In Reader Rabbit Math Adventures Ages 6-9, Pop is replaced by a conventional map, but Pop's role still remains in that game.

Quotes[]

A sample of quotes related to Pop.

"Grown-ups can use POP to change player levels and other program options." - Mat, Reader Rabbit Preschool
"POP, your Program Options Pad, is right here around my neck. We're the team that can help you get around this place. To use POP, just click on me!" - Mat, Reader Rabbit's Reading 1

Trivia[]

His final appearance in a mainline game is Reader Rabbit Thinking Adventures Ages 4-6.
The player can click on Pop when playing grade-based games targeted at younger kids. Doing so will add a pop-up speech bubble explaining how to access the Program Options Menu, which is usually Ctrl+P (Ctrl+O in Playtime for Baby, as Ctrl+P is reserved for printing).

Gallery[]

Pop Menus[]

Incomplete, missing Reading Development Library variants and Reader Rabbit 1 Deluxe version, English version Interactive Math Journey, and Reader Rabbit Reading 2 without the exit screen

Sign-In Screens[]

Note: Not all sign-in screens have Pop as the sign-in screen