****Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : VIDEOCASSETTES

“Bill Cosby’s PicturePages.” Rainbow. Six volumes, $19.95 each. Had enough of everybody’s favorite TV dad and pitchman, the King Midas of the media? Don’t be too hasty. The NBC star is going to help your preschoolers learn their ABCs. A set of six videocassettes accompanied by workbooks, “PicturePages” encourages parents to get involved and take kids gently through simple rhyming, matching, sequencing and completion activities. The Cos plays teacher--mugging, clowning, telling jokes and imparting real information along the way. It works. Information: (800) 772-1234. ***