Karel The Robot: A Gentle Introduction to the Art of Programming, 2nd Edition

"I first used this language in 1981 as a student. I found it to be stimulating and challenging. In 1984 I began using Karel as a teacher. Since 1984 I have used Karel every term except one. That term represented an experiment to see how students would do without using Karel. I was not satisfied; the students performed poorly relative to those who used Karel."
—Peter Casey, Central Oregon Community College

"There are no bits, no bytes or bugaboos to intimidate new minds to computers. Pattis et al. have done a wonderful job in assembling a simple little robot, giving it a little language to understand, giving it a little world to wander about in, and finally giving it to [us] so that we can all play and learn in Karel's world."
—Billibon H. Yoshimi, Columbia University