FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ann Morris/Gayle Glickman

Healy Communications, Inc.

312/440-3900; amorris@healyco.com

Publications International, Ltd.
Debuts Three Unique New Electronic Soundbook Formats
And Three New ActiveMinds® Educational Products
For Toy Fair 2006

Two of the new soundbook formats, the Cell Phone Book and the Digital Music Player Book, offer preschool- and young school-aged children the opportunity to engage in fun-filled, educational “preschool tech” activities that emulate adult behavior, such as talking on a cell phone or downloading digital music. All of the new PI products offer stimulating themes and activities, high degrees of interactivity and the appeal of favorite characters, while also providing parents affordable, yet powerful learning opportunities for their kids. With the exception of the ActiveMinds Interactive DVD Book, which ships in spring 2006, all of these new PI products will be available at major retailers in fall 2006.

“Our mission is to get as many books into the hands of as many children as possible, and we do this by offering consumers a growing selection of high-quality interactive learning products at value-oriented price points,” noted Kerry Cunnion, Executive Vice President of Publications International, Ltd.

Cell Phone Book (Ages 3-8)

The Cell Phone Book features a removable cordless flip phone with working number buttons and an LCD screen that simulates a real camera/video-phone by featuring both still and moving visual images. Fifteen number and function buttons (including camera, movie, on/off and voicemail), allow the child to view and “call” different characters shown in the book. The camera button mimics cell-phone photography with a flash of light and a pixilated image related to the 10 different spreads in the book, while the movie button plays one of 10 different animated sequences related to the book.

An envelope symbol on the phone screen prompts the child to “check voice mail.” When the child does so by pressing the corresponding button, he/she hears a character’s message. The Cell Phone Book also features a cradle for storing the cordless phone, a volume control, and speaker located on the back of the phone to ensure safe use by little ears. The Cell Phone Book titles will include Elmo and Dora the Explorer and will sell for around $20.

Digital Music Player Book (Ages 3-8)

Also new for 2006 is the Digital Music Player Book, a portable-music-player-and-book combination that blends the learning aspects of reading with the entertainment of music. The 11”x11”, fully illustrated, hardcover board book features a detachable music player that looks and plays like an MP3 player. The technology allows kids to “download” up to nine melodies by pressing the player’s code reader against carbon barcodes on one of five spreads in the book. The music player features an on/off switch, shuffle mode, forward/back arrow buttons and nine light-up, colored icons that correspond with illustrations in the book. The player can be stored in a holster mounted on the book cover. The Digital Music Player Book titles will include The Wiggles, SpongeBob Squarepants and Strawberry Shortcake, and will sell for around $16.99.

Fold and Go Cars Book (Ages 3-6)

The new Fold and Go Cars Book is an interactive soundbook featuring a built-in electronic “chassis,” complete with sound effects that correspond to cars in the book. Kids can pop out five perforated cars from pages of the book, fold them along scored lines and slide them – one at a time - onto the chassis mounted on the front cover. When the wheels trigger a mechanism in the chassis, the book makes sounds specific to the vehicle. The Fold and Go Cars Book is filled with vehicle facts and stories and will sell for around $12.99. NASCAR, Scooby Doo and Tonka versions will be available.

In addition to the products mentioned above, PI is also introducing three new ActiveMinds educational products. According to Cunnion, the ActiveMinds line captures a child’s attention with innovative products that are educational and entertaining. “We developed ActiveMinds to address the needs of the preschool/early-learning market, which is one of the fastest-growing segments in our industry, accounting for almost half of all dollars spent on children’s books,” noted Cunnion.

ActiveMinds® Electronic Look and Find® (Ages 3-7)

PI is the undisputed leader in search-and-find activity books, selling more than two million Look and Find® Books annually. In 2006, Look and Find goes electronic and educational with the new ActiveMinds® Electronic Look and Find Books. Featuring a stylus-based format, language options, patented technology and artwork from the original series, the Electronic Look and Find Book features more than 100 objects to find in eight spreads per book. Kids use the cordless stylus to identify targets, guided by sensing technology that provides audio feedback as the player moves about the scene (“you’re getting warmer”/“you’re getting colder”). The stylus easily snaps into a holder for storage and forms a magnifying glass when in place. A bilingual button teaches object recognition, language skills and vocabulary building in both English and Spanish. The learning pattern of the ActiveMinds Electronic Look and Find Book provides a wealth of educational benefits, including skill development in visual discrimination, fine motor abilities, hand-eye coordination, following directions, sequential processing and deductive reasoning. The audio feature provides positive reinforcement to the child, directing and redirecting in a way that usually assures success, promotes goal achievement and builds self-confidence. A “bonus” button on the Electronic Look and Find provides more challenging levels as the child progresses. ActiveMinds Electronic Look and Find will sell for around $16.99. Initial titles will feature Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants, Winnie the Pooh and Disney Princess.

ActiveMinds® Interactive DVD Books (Ages 3-8)

The ActiveMinds® Interactive DVD Book turns the TV into an effective “learning system” by combining the printed word with entertainment aspects afforded by DVD technology. The product features an 18-page printed book with interactive DVD and a 10-button, kid-friendly remote control that is less than one inch thick and ergonomically designed for small hands. Color-coded buttons clearly show forward/back, four “play” modes and four shaped “action” modes. Each of the eight different spreads in the book, which correspond to eight screens on the DVD, operates in five different modes: a Q&A mode, a default mode that reads the story aloud on screen, an activity mode with questions about pictures in the book, a movie mode with clips relating to the subjects in the book, and a karaoke-style music mode, complete with song lyrics and animation. The ActiveMinds Interactive DVD Books will sell for around $16.99. Titles throughout 2006 will include Sesame Street, Disney, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants, Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine.

ActiveMinds® Bilingual 30-Button Book (Ages 3-8)

The ActiveMinds® Bilingual 30-Button Book offers kids aged three to eight the unique opportunity to learn and read in two languages, with added sound effects to enhance the learning experience. Ten spreads in this colorful, educational book feature icons that correspond with a 30-button sound module to the right of the text, which is shown in both English and Spanish. Kids can flip a switch to hear the word in either language for a total of 60 sound triggers, and after each word a meaningful sound effect plays to reinforce the word used. Four titles of the ActiveMinds Bilingual 30-Button Book, “Let’s Go to School,” “My First Words,” “I Can Count” and “The Magic Book” will be available and sell for around $12.99.

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About Publications International Ltd.

Publications International, Ltd. (PI), a privately held company based in Lincolnwood, Illinois, is the world’s largest publisher of children’s products that combine traditional printed books with electronic features that deliver interactivity, learning and entertainment value.  Since 1967, PI has provided consumers and retail partners with products defined by creativity, quality and value, operating with the mission to “get as many books into the hands of as many children as possible.”  PI introduces hundreds of new children’s titles annually and sells more than 20 million traditional and electronic soundbooks each year. The company is actively involved in philanthropic literacy efforts, donating books to children’s charities and schools to stimulate the love of reading in young people. In addition to its rapidly growing children’s book division, PI also publishes widely popular cookbooks, the New Seasons line of albums and journals, and a wide variety of general and specialty titles. For more information, please visit www.pilbooks.com.