Franklin Electronic Publishers and HoriPro Entertainment Group Partner for Children's Music Education

LOS ANGELES, Calif. and BURLINGTON, N.J., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc. and Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. announced their partnership today, introducing the pairing of Franklin's AnyBook Reader with HoriPro Entertainment Group's music teaching method, ColorSoundation.  The interactive audio capabilities of AnyBook Reader in conjunction with ColorSoundation's hands-on, music learning experience brings workbook exercises to life, allowing children to hear and confirm correct musical notes, listen to story narration, and receive musical accompaniment at the touch of the device.

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This new partnership targets educational institutions, including preschools, day care centers, recreation facilities, and music schools.  The integration of Franklin's AnyBook Reader in ColorSoundation's curriculum commences at the start of the September 2012 semester.  Using the device, children will participate in color-coded exercises that enhance essential music comprehension skills.  

The AnyBook device will be the newest addition to the ColorSoundation student starter pack, bridging the print book and digital audio worlds.  The pack is currently targeted to include 8 different "Bright Wave" color flags, a rhythm book, a textbook, and a tote bag.   The AnyBook Reader will deliver exclusive ColorSoundation content intended to reinforce the in-class activities through the simple use of audio customizable stickers that have associated information that is read out loud when scanned with the AnyBook Reader.  The AnyBook Reader will maintain functionality beyond the delivery of ColorSoundation content, allowing students to optimize the full gamut of the product's original offerings.

"I'm very pleased to find a unique technology that not only parallels the hands-on approach taken by ColorSoundation, but enhances the method through a new level of engagement for the students at home," says ColorSoundation founder, Shiho Yamamoto.

"We are so pleased with the adoption of vertical market opportunities of our AnyBook Reader family of products which underscores its limitless educational uses," said Barry J. Lipsky, president and chief executive officer. "Going on four decades now, the Franklin brand has been synonymous with providing educational tools that resonate with the aspirational heartstrings of all parents in a fun and engaging manner.  ColorSoundation calls on the exact same audience that our AnyBook is intended for in a new and unique way," he added.

Franklin and ColorSoundation are collaborating to provide additional benefits through each company's networks, including special promotional discounts on other Franklin products for ColorSoundation students.   Franklin and H.E.G. will begin to promote  the joint ColorSoundation Solution to the target educational institutions on April 1, 2012, in preparation for a full launch in September 2012.

About ColorSoundation  (www.colorsoundation.com) :
ColorSoundation is a groundbreaking method employing color-coded exercises to help young children quickly develop essential music skills. Through participation in engaging group classes, ColorSoundation introduces children ages 3-6 to music literacy, pitch training and rhythm, while simultaneously developing both social and personal developmental skills.

First introduced in Southern California, ColorSoundation educates hundreds of students across the Los Angeles and South Bay areas. The program has been offered in multiple preschools, as well as in facilities for children with special needs, demonstrating the value of musical education in cognitive development. ColorSoundation is the property of HoriPro Entertainment Group, trademarked and registered.

About AnyBook Reader (www.anybookreader.com):
AnyBook Reader is a unique tool for children, parents, and grandparents that helps make reading fun and more enjoyable.  AnyBook Reader uses a simple touch, record and playback process that allows a parent or teacher  to read any story and record his or her own voice.   In that way a child can hear a familiar  voice anytime he or she  wants to read that book.  AnyBook Reader doesn't require any special books nor does it use computerized or unfamiliar pre-recorded voices. The AnyBook Reader comes in various models allowing hours of recording time and is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and www.franklin.com.  To learn more visit: www.anybookreader.com or www.facebook.com/AnyBookReader

About HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc.  (www.horipro.com) :
Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary as a leading independent music publisher in the US, HoriPro Entertainment Group, incorporated HORIPRO Music Academy, home of ColorSoundation method, in 2005. The music school strives to provide students of all ages and levels with the highest quality of music education and performance experiences.

About Franklin Electronic Publishers (www.franklin.com):
Franklin Electronic Publishers Incorporated is a world leader in electronic handheld information, having sold approximately 42,000,000 electronic books.  Current titles available directly or through partners number more than 116,000 in sixteen languages, under license from world-class publishers such as Merriam-Webster, Oxford University Press, Larousse, Langenscheidt, PONS, and HarperCollins, and are focused in four areas: language expansion, language learning, reading enhancement, and writing enhancement.  The Company also licenses its underlying technology to partners, which include Adobe and Sun Microsystems. Franklin's products are available at 49,000 retail outlets worldwide, through catalogs, and online at www.franklin.com.

SOURCE Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc.; HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc.