"We are excited about continuing our extremely successful partnership with Mattel," says Harold Clarke, Vice President and Publisher, Trade Publishing for Reader's Digest Association. "Reader's Digest Children's Publishing has had great success with the Barbie(TM) Book Collection and we know this success will continue."

This fall, Reader's Digest Children's Publishing will publish BARBIE(TM) AS RAPUNZEL, a tie in to a new video of the same name, part of Mattel's already established and successful video program. The BARBIE AS RAPUNZEL book features an enchanting retelling of the favorite fairy tale starring America's favorite doll, Barbie®. The book, which is packaged with a comb, has doll hair to brush and style.

Mattel's Barbie® as Rapunzel product program is launching in stores in August 2002 and will be backed by a major ad campaign for both the dolls and video. "We have always been tremendously pleased with the marketing support that Mattel has provided for the Reader's Digest Children's Publishing Barbie(TM) Book Collection," explains Clarke. "With the BARBIE® AS RAPUNZEL doll, video and book all coming out this fall, we are sure to have an especially high rate of visibility."

ABOUT READER'S DIGEST CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING

Reader's Digest Children's Publishing has trade distribution in the US, Canada and the UK, and produces co-editions in over 25 languages and 31 countries. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., is a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, enrich, entertain, and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. Global headquarters are located at Pleasantville, New York. The company's main Web site is http://www.rd.com.

About Mattel Girls Division

Since the Barbie® doll's launch in 1959 as a paper doll inspired friend, she has firmly established herself as the most popular fashion doll ever created. For more than four decades, Mattel has maintained Barbie® doll's popularity by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to meet changing times while evolving her world into an overall lifestyle brand for girls. While the Barbie® Brand represents Mattel's initial roots in girls' toys, the girls division has several best-selling brands including American Girl®, Diva Starz(TM), What's Her Face!(TM) and Polly Pocket!(TM). A natural extension of the brands to the online world, Mattel's Girls Interactive Group provides girls of the 21st century a new way to interact with their favorite toys through web sites and licensed Mattel-branded interactive software and video game titles.

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, http://www.mattel.com) is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 27,000 people in 36 countries and its products are sold in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel's vision is to create and market the world's premier toy brands --- for today and tomorrow.

BARBIE, DIVA STARZ, AMERICAN GIRL, WHAT'S HER FACE and associated trademarks are owned by Mattel, Inc.

Polly Pocket! under license from Origin Products Ltd. and Bluebird Toys (UK) Ltd.