Cd-Rom Brings ‘101 Dalmatians’ To Home Computer

Kids hooked on certain cuddly spotted puppies frolicking across movie theater screens don’t need to go the pet store to continue the fantasy adventure after the closing credits roll. All they need to do is to turn the family PC into a doghouse.

“Disney’s Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians” (Disney Interactive, CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh, $34.95, for ages 3-7) is a perfect digital playmate for plugged-in preschoolers, taking them on a playful canine cartoon journey.

Based on the animated Disney classic, not the live-action remake currently in theaters, the CD-ROM features fun sing-alongs and read-alongs telling the tale of Cruella De Vil’s plot to skin London’s Dalmatian puppies for a fur coat.

Baby boomer parents who warmly recall the original “101 Dalmatians” will have a nostalgic blast bonding with their Nintendo generation offspring, building shared experiences the kids can fondly look back on when they grow up.

Kids can have the storybook just read aloud to them, but most will go with the Read & Play option, in which cartoon sequences punctuate storytelling and each page is packed with interactive goodies to keep mouse fingers hopping.