Chronicle Books 2009-2015

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Chronicle Books' "objective is to create exceptional publishing that's instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity, and value." (source) 

Its children's publishing division publishes about 90 titles per year. (source)

Chronicle Books accepts unsolicited manuscripts. Read "So, You've Written a Children's Book...Now What?" to learn more about their submissions process.

In our meetings, we sometimes find it's difficult to put our finger on what makes one publishing house different from another, but with Chronicle we noticed a predilection for picture books that are both quirky and humorous. And they don't seem to shy away from books with a hefty (by today's standards) word count.

Getting to Know Chronicle Books

Ginee Seo - Publishing Director
"Looking Ahead. Books are Magic!" by Ginnee Seo
Ginee Seo on Publishers Weekly

Kelli Chipponeri - Editorial Director
Kelli Chipponeri on Publishers Weekly

Victoria Rock - Editor-at-Large
Victoria Rock - The Write Path Blog
Victoria Rock on Publishers Weekly

Melissa Manlove - Editor
Shaping a Bonsai: An Interview with Melissa Manlove
Melissa Manlove on Publishers Weekly

Naomi Kirsten - Editor
Naomi Kirsten on Publishers Weekly

Ariel Richardson - Editor (promoted from Associate Editor in March 2017)
Meet Ariel Richardson
Ariel Richardson on Publishers Weekly

Taylor Norman - Associate Editor
The Write Path

Christopher Franceschelli - President and Publisher of Handprint Books (acquired as an imprint of Chronicle Books in 2008)
Publisher's Weekly

Huge thanks to Melissa Manlove for helping me match the editors with their books!

Books we had on hand (* indicates books we read and discussed):

*Rude Cakes (2015); Written and Illustrated by Rowboat Watkins (debut); Edited by Victoria Rock
Of Sentient Cakes and Hairy Hands with Rowboat Watson

*Interstellar Cinderella (2015); Written by Deborah Underwood; Illustrated by Meg Hunt (debut picture book); Edited by Melissa Manlove
Meg Hunt - Publishers Weekly

*Flashlight (2014); Illustrated by Lizi Boyd
Picture Book Makers - Lizi Boyd; Edited by Victoria Rock

Planet Kindergarten (2014); Written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt; Illustrated by Shane Prigmore; Edited by Melissa Manlove

*Telephone (2014); Written by Mac Barnett; Illustrated by Jen Corace; Edited by Ginee Seo

*I Didn't Do My Homework Because... (2014); Written by Davide Cali; Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud; Editor Naomi Kirsten

*Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes (2013); Written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong; Illustrated by John Parra; Edited by Melissa Manlove
Interview with John Parra on Seven Impossible Things

*Little Red Writing (2013); Written by Joan Holub; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet; Edited by Melissa Manlove

*On a Beam of Light (2013); Written by Jennifer Berne; Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky; Edited by Melissa Manlove
Five Questions with Jennifer Berne

Wumbers (2012); Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld; Edited by Victoria Rock

*A Rock is Lively (2012); Written by Dianna Hutts Aston; Illustrated by Sylvia Long; Edited by Victoria Rock
Interview with Dianne Hutts Aston

*Chloe, Instead (2012); Written and Illustrated by Micah Player (debut picture book); Edited by Naomi Kirsten

A Strange Place to Call Home (2012); Written by Marilyn Singer; Illustrated by Ed Young; Edited by Melissa Manlove

E-mergency! (2011); By Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer; Edited by Victoria Rock
Tom Lichtenheld's Creative Space

*Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (2011); Witten by Sherri Duskey Rinker (debut author); Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld; Edited by Mary Colgan (no longer at Chronicle)

Press Here (2011); Written and Illustrated by Hervé Tullet; Edited by Christopher Franceschelli

*Chicken Big (2010); Written and Illustrated by Keith Graves; Editor Julie Romeis (no longer at Chronicle)

Tony and the Pizza Champions (2009); Written by Tony Gemignani (debut picture book); Illustrated by Matthew Trueman; Edited by Andrea Menotti (no longer at Chronicle)

Over and Under the Snow (2009); Written by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal; Edited by Melissa Manlove

For Just One Day (2009); Written by Laura Leuck; Illustrated by Marc Boutavant; Edited by Susan Pearson (no longer at Chronicle)






*Duck! Rabbit! (2009); Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld; Edited by Victoria Rock

At our next meeting on August 8, we will focus on books published by Holiday House.