Skip to content
Streambay
Reading Rainbow Season 4 poster
Complete Reading Rainbow

Reading Rainbow Season 4 Episode release dates & where to watch

Premiered

Monday, June 23, 1986

Ended: Friday, July 4, 1986

When does Reading Rainbow Season 4 come out?

Reading Rainbow Season 4 premiered Monday, June 23, 1986 on PBS and ended Friday, July 4, 1986. The season has 10 episodes.

Last updated

Reading Rainbow Season 4 release schedule

Reading Rainbow Season 4 episode release dates
Episode Release date

1. Animal Cafe

LeVar goes to a 24-hour diner to look into night jobs, and profiles people who have occupations in the evening and early morning hours, like radio DJ's, bakers, cab drivers, and police officers. In a separate story, a man ventures into a cave to see bats and other nocturnal animals. Martin Short narrates the story of "Animal Cafe," about a cat and dog who operate a third shift restaurant for all the animals in their neighborhood while keeping it a secret from their human owner.

Monday · 40 years ago

2. Alistair in Outer Space

Alistair is on his way to return library books when he is captured in a spaceship by two creatures called Goots. Also includes Library of Congress, Maps and Globes, Conan the Librarian, Book Care and Repair and book reviews for Check it Out! The Book about Libraries, Commander Toad and Maps and Toads.

Tuesday · 40 years ago

3. Feelings

Pictures, dialogues, poems, and stories portray a variety of emotions we all feel - jealousy, sadness, fear, anger, joy, love, etc. Also includes Let's Make Music, Feeling Sad, Meet Koko and Penny and book reviews for Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems, Fireflies! and Loudmouth George and the Sixth-Grade Bully.

Wednesday · 40 years ago

4. Watch the Stars Come Out

LeVar visits a pig farm in Hawaii to find out why pigs are so popular. He also interviews Kermit the Frog to ask him about his famous girlfriend, Miss Piggy.James Coco reads the story of Perfect the Pig, about a little runt pig who makes a wish to have wings in order to be special, and how he found a special person to be his friend and companion.

Thursday · 40 years ago

5. Mama Don't Allow

When Miles gets a saxophone for his birthday, neither his parents nor his neighborhood can stand the racket! No one guesses what's in store for them, when Miles and his Swamp Band receive and invitation to play at the Alligator Ball. Also includes Alligator Farm, Meet Fred Newman, Visit the Creole Queen, and The Saxophone Player and book reviews for Miranda, Apt. 3 and Alligator Shoes.

Friday · 40 years ago

6. Space Case

Is there life on other planets and stars? LaVar sends a message to aliens who might be watching and a radio telescope in Puerto Rico is profiled. Today's featured story is about a being from outer space who visits Earth.

Monday · 40 years ago

7. The Milk Makers

LeVar spends a day at the dairy seeing how cows are milked and understanding what care cows need. Alaina Reed Hall reads the story of The Milk Makers, detailing how milk is collected from cows, processed in dairies and sent to grocery stores

Tuesday · 40 years ago

8. Imogene's Antlers

LaVar visits the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania to learn about animals with horns and antlers. In today's featured story, a young girl wakes up one morning to discover she's grown her own pair of antlers.

Wednesday · 40 years ago

9. Germs Make Me Sick!

LeVar goes on a search for microorganisms, distinguishing the good ones from the bad. An animated satire of Hill Street Blues (which ran 1981-1987) shows white blood cells ready to fight germs. Molly Mandlin reads Germs Make Me Sick!, explaining how people can catch colds and diseases from exposure to germs.

Thursday · 40 years ago

10. Abiyoyo Finale

In one of the rare times Reading Rainbow uses a studio set, LeVar tells about storytelling through music. The then-new art of music videos is first up, with clips of Who's Johnny (among others). Pete Seeger appears on the set to perform his version of Abiyoyo. Also unique to htis episode: all the book reviewers share the stage with LeVar.

Friday · 40 years ago

Reading Rainbow Season 4 guest stars

  • Martin Short

    Martin Short

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Arnold Stang

    Arnold Stang

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Laura Haymann

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Fred Newman

    Fred Newman

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Michael Winslow

    Michael Winslow

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Alaina Reed Hall

    Alaina Reed Hall

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Imogene Coca

    Imogene Coca

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Molly Mandlin

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Pete Seeger

    Pete Seeger

    Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell

    Self

  • Joseph Simmons

    Joseph Simmons

    Self (as Run)

  • Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels

    Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels

    Self

  • Eric Bogosian

    Eric Bogosian

    Conan the Librarian (voice)

Reading Rainbow Season 4 FAQ

When does Reading Rainbow Season 4 come out?

Reading Rainbow Season 4 premiered Monday, June 23, 1986 on PBS.

How many episodes are in Reading Rainbow Season 4?

Reading Rainbow Season 4 has 10 episodes.

Are new episodes of Reading Rainbow Season 4 released weekly?

New episodes are released daily.

When is the Reading Rainbow Season 4 finale?

The Reading Rainbow Season 4 finale (Episode 10) aired Friday, July 4, 1986.

How do I get notified when new Reading Rainbow Season 4 episodes are released?

Download the Streambay app and follow Reading Rainbow. You'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is out.

Never miss Reading Rainbow Season 4.

Download Streambay and follow Reading Rainbow. We’ll notify you the moment Season 4 is released, and as each new episode comes out. It’s free, with no sign-up and no personal information required.

Coming soon to App Store Get it on Google Play