Broken Frontier

TOKYOPOP Inc., pioneers of the innovative and hugely successful Cine-Manga® book format, today announced the launch of a brand-new publishing line, Jr. Cine-Manga books.  Revolutionizing the children's book market, TOKYOPOP’s Jr. Cine-Manga books bring the beloved characters and storylines kids know and cherish straight from the screen to an original exciting visual format.

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. (NYSE: HAS), 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.