Geared toward readers ages 3 to 6 and individually priced at $3.99, Jr. Cine-Manga books have a 6"X9" trim-size and feature an average of two art panels per page. Complemented by large manga-style text balloons, captions and sound effects, Jr. Cine-Manga books enable younger children to easily make the transition from television to the printed page. Bridging the gap between on-screen entertainment and more traditional children's books, Jr. Cine-Manga books are a natural fit for children who are growing up and learning in an increasingly multimedia world.

The first titles to be released under this exciting new publishing umbrella will be Hasbro's My Little Pony: Friends Are Never Far Away, under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc., Sesame Street: Happy, Healthy Monsters and Sesame Street: Elmo and Zoe Fly a Kite.

According to Elizabeth Hurchalla, Senior Editor, TOKYOPOP: "In contrast to most children's books, which typically rely on flat character illustrations, Jr Cine-Manga books are created with screen captures or on-set photography so the characters look exactly as they do on the television screen. This great feature will help kids immediately connect with them."

"TOKYOPOP has done a fantastic job of bringing Hasbro's MY LITTLE PONY brand to life through its Jr. Cine-Manga books," said Tom Klusaritz, VP Licensing and New Business Development. "With these books, MY LITTLE PONY fans will have a new way to enjoy their favorite pony characters."

Sesame Workshop's education experts agree. Anna Housley Juster, Director of Content for Sesame Street, explains that the unique storybook format can promote extended storytelling. "The vivid photographs and printed words evoke the magic of the spoken word and engaging dialogue," says Housley Juster, who conducts frequent testing with preschoolers while performing research for the show. "As children and caregivers read together, children who are already reading can take on various roles with diverse voices."

The My Little Pony: Friends Are Never Far Away; Sesame Street: Elmo and Zoe Fly a Kite and Sesame Street: Happy, Healthy Monsters Jr. Cine-Manga will be available in bookstores everywhere in July.

ABOUT TOKYOPOP®
As the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand. TOKYOPOP's innovative product extensions include its pioneering Cine-Manga® book format, which features colorful flavors of pop culture's hottest films, television shows and music videos. The company has expanded its property reach beyond publishing�TOKYOPOP's television series have been broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network, Showtime and G4Media, and are released on DVD, with consumer products available at all major retail outlets. The company's global reach has recently expanded to Europe, with new offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With nearly 28 million books in print, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties features more than 200,000 pages of manga compiled over nearly 1,000 manga volumes. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

ABOUT THE HASBRO PROPERTIES GROUP
The Hasbro Properties Group develops and expands Hasbro Inc's (NYSE: HAS) core brands, such as G.I. JOE, TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND, into a wide variety of entertainment and consumer categories.

ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Sagwa products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.