Broderbund's Logical Journey of the Zoombinis Leads Children on a Puzzle-Filled Adventure that Builds Advanced Math Thinking Skills; The Newest Addition to the Active Mind Seriest Teaches Math and Logic to Kids Ages 8-12.

NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1996--The big bad Bloats have taken over the Zoombinis' island home! Rescue them from impending disaster and lead them on an adventurous journey to a new homeland.

But wait -- easier said than done. Children ages 8 to 12 must help the Zoombinis through this puzzle-filled CD-ROM adventure that builds advanced math thinking and logic skills. Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is Broderbund Software's (NASDAQ:BROD) fourth addition to the newly designed Active Mind Series.

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis helps children ages 8 to 12 develop critical math skills including data analysis and sorting, hypothesis formation, graphing, logical reasoning, statistical thinking, pattern recognition, set theory and more. The program was designed by TERC, an education research and development center, in Cambridge, Massachusetts and with input from educators throughout the United States. Before the Zoombinis reach Zoombiniville, children must solve 12 challenging puzzles, safely leading the Zoombinis through The Deep Dark Forest Trail, Who's Bayou Path, The Big, The Bad and The Hungry Road, and The Mountains of Despair. Richly designed graphics, coupled with smooth animation and delightful characters and sound, make Logical Journey of the Zoombinis a wonderful math adventure for kids.

Choosing between the different Zoombini attributes of hair style, nose color, eyes, and mobility, children begin by creating their band of Zoombinis. Once children help the first group of Zoombinis escape from the island, their adventure begins. As they travel through the 12 puzzles, players must determine which combination of pizza toppings will satisfy the Pizza Eating Tree Trolls, use the Zoombinis' features as coordinates X and Y to place each Zoombini in the proper room at Hotel Dimensia, sharpen set recognition and logical grouping skills by determining which Zoombinis can cross the bridges that lead over the Allergic Cliffs and much more.

"The puzzles in Logical Journey of the Zoombinis are structured to support math standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, but delivered to children in an environment that is very rich in design, color and entertainment," explains Laurie Strand, Publisher of the Education Studio at Broderbund Software. "This approach to building math skills helps children develop data organization and thinking skills vital for understanding advanced math concepts such as algebra, set theory, graphing, data analysis and more," Strand adds.

Zoombiniville

With each puzzle the children solve, they are one step closer to helping the Zoombinis find the correct path to Zoombiniville. Zoombiniville is a safe haven and newly discovered land where the weary Zoombinis will grow and prosper as groups of new inhabitants complete their journey. Multiple levels of play range from "not so easy" to "very, very hard". Puzzle difficulty automatically adjusts to the child's skill level as they continue to rescue the stranded Zoombinis from their island prison and safely guide them to their new home.

Teacher's Edition

School Editions of Logical Journey of the Zoombinis are designed to support the use of the program in upper elementary classroom settings. The Teacher's Guide includes lessons that correspond with specific puzzles in the product, that coordinate with math curriculum and that are designed for cooperative groups. Also included are reproducible materials, technical tips for using the features of this program in a classroom, and an annotated bibliography of related resources.

Active Mind Series

The Active Mind Series is an innovative line of software that motivates children to develop essential learning skills. Each product is developed in conjunction with educational specialists to provide an enriching educational experience. Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is the fourth title in this series. Other titles in the series include the recently released James Discovers Math, The Playroom and Math Workshop.

Availability, Pricing and System Requirements

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is currently shipping to stores for approximately $40. The hybrid CD-ROM will require at least Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, 33MHz 486SX, 8MB RAM, double speed CD-ROM drive, 2MB hard disk space, SVGA (640 x 480, 256 colors), and Windows compatible sound device. Macintosh users will need a minimum system of 25MHz 68030 processor, System 7.0.1 or higher, 8MB RAM, 1MB hard disk space, 8-bit video support (256 colors), 13-inch color monitor (640 x 480) and double speed CD-ROM drive.

About Broderbund Software

Broderbund Software, Inc. is a diversified consumer software company that offers a broad selection of fun, award-winning products for use in homes, schools and small businesses. Founded in 1980, the company is committed to creating imaginative personal computer software of lasting value for every member of the family.

Broderbund and The Playroom are registered trademarks of Broderbund Software Inc. Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, James Discovers Math, Math Workshop and Active Mind Series are trademarks of Broderbund Software, Inc. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACTS: Broderbund Software

Shannon Jamieson, 415/382-4567

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Dana Henry, 415/382-3238

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