Chronicle Books
American independent publisher of creatively designed books for adults and children.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Chronicle Books is an American independent publishing company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Established in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, an executive at Chronicle Publishing Company, the business was originally associated with the publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. It developed a publishing program spanning both adult and children's books, with an emphasis on subjects and formats that combine editorial content with strong visual presentation. The company publishes across a broad range of categories, including art, architecture, culture, interior design, cooking, food, gardening, photography, travel, pop culture, fiction, and children's literature. Its list has also included illustrated reference works, licensed entertainment titles, gift books, stationery, calendars, and other products intended for both traditional bookselling and gift-oriented retail. This breadth has made Chronicle Books notable for treating book design, illustration, packaging, and usability as central parts of the publishing proposition rather than as secondary features. Chronicle became independently controlled in 1999, when Nion McEvoy acquired the company from other members of the family associated with Chronicle Publishing Company. At the time of the transaction, the publisher reportedly had approximately 130 employees, published about 300 books annually, and maintained a catalog of more than 1,000 titles. McEvoy established the McEvoy Group as a holding company in 2000, creating a broader publishing and gift-products structure around Chronicle Books. The group later expanded through acquisitions including Handprint Books, Galison/Mudpuppy, and I See Me!, although those businesses operate as distinct parts of the wider group rather than as simple Chronicle imprints. Chronicle Books' catalog includes commercial and critically visible titles such as Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine series, Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar's Me Without You, Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Olive's Duck! Rabbit!, Vivian Walsh's Olive, the Other Reindeer, and the Ivy and Bean children's series by Annie Barrows. The publisher has also issued books connected with popular culture and entertainment, including The Beatles Anthology, The Art of... books documenting the development of animated films, and Jey Parks's Star Trek Cats and Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats. Other recognizable works include the Worst-Case Scenario series, All My Friends Are Dead, and family-oriented titles such as Papa, Do You Love Me? and Mama, Do You Love Me? In addition to conventional trade publishing, Chronicle has offered custom publishing services and produced gift accessories such as desktop calendars. The company has also operated retail locations in San Francisco, including a store located near its corporate headquarters. Its business model therefore combines editorial publishing with design-led merchandise and direct retail exposure. Chronicle Books remains an active private publisher within the McEvoy Group, serving adult, children's, gift, and illustrated-book markets in the United States and internationally.
History
Chronicle Books was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, who was an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, the organization then associated with the San Francisco Chronicle. From its early years, the publisher developed a list for both adults and children rather than concentrating on a single editorial category. Its output came to cover subjects such as art, architecture, culture, interior design, food, cooking, gardening, photography, travel, pop culture, fiction, and children's literature. A major ownership change occurred in 1999, when Nion McEvoy acquired Chronicle Books from other family members who were selling assets connected with the Chronicle Publishing organization. At that point, the company reportedly employed about 130 people, issued around 300 books per year, and had a backlist of more than 1,000 titles. McEvoy established the McEvoy Group in 2000 as a holding company, providing a corporate structure for Chronicle Books and subsequent publishing, stationery, gift, puzzle, toy, and personalized-book businesses. Chronicle's publishing identity became closely associated with books whose visual design and physical presentation were important to their appeal. Its list included illustrated adult books, children's picture books, cookbooks, gift books, and popular-culture publications. Among the titles associated with the company are Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine series, Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar's Me Without You, Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Olive's Duck! Rabbit!, Vivian Walsh's Olive, the Other Reindeer, Annie Barrows's Ivy and Bean series, and several family and humor titles. The company also published The Beatles Anthology and a substantial group of The Art of... books documenting the artwork and production histories of animated films from studios including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Studios. The publisher expanded beyond its core list through corporate and editorial development. In 2008, Chronicle Books acquired Handprint Books. The wider McEvoy Group later acquired Galison/Mudpuppy in 2012 and I See Me! in 2014. Galison is associated with stationery and gifts, while Mudpuppy publishes puzzles, games, and toys, and I See Me! specializes in personalized books. These acquisitions broadened the group's presence in adjacent gift and children's product categories. Chronicle Books has also operated outside conventional trade publishing. It has offered custom publishing services, sold gift accessories such as desktop calendars, and operated three San Francisco retail stores, including a location at the base of its corporate headquarters near AT&T Park. The company has continued to publish licensed and entertainment-related products, including Star Trek Cats and Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats in 2017 and 2018. Chronicle Books remains a private, active publisher within the McEvoy Group, with a catalog serving domestic and international readers.
- 2018
Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats is published
[1]Chronicle publishes the follow-up Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats by Jey Parks.
- 2017
Star Trek Cats is published
[1]Chronicle publishes Jey Parks's Star Trek Cats, extending its entertainment and gift-book publishing.
- 2014
McEvoy Group acquires I See Me!
[1]The group acquires I See Me!, a publisher of personalized books.
- 2012
McEvoy Group acquires Galison/Mudpuppy
[1]The wider group acquires Galison/Mudpuppy, adding stationery, gifts, puzzles, games, and toys to its portfolio.
- 2008
Handprint Books is acquired
[1]Chronicle Books acquires Handprint Books, expanding its publishing activities.
- 2000
McEvoy Group is formed
[1]McEvoy establishes the McEvoy Group as a holding company for Chronicle Books and related businesses.
- 1999
Nion McEvoy acquires the publisher
[1]Nion McEvoy purchases Chronicle Books from family members disposing of assets associated with the Chronicle Publishing organization.
- 1967
Chronicle Books is established
[1]Phelps Dewey establishes Chronicle Books in San Francisco while serving as an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company.
Products and positioning
Independent publisher known for creative, visually distinctive, design-forward books and gift products across adult, children's, art, food, culture, and entertainment categories.
Adult publishing
Adult illustrated and trade books
Chronicle publishes adult books across art, architecture, design, culture, photography, travel, food, gardening, fiction, humor, and popular culture. These books often rely on strong illustration, photography, distinctive format, or gift-oriented presentation, reflecting the company's design-led publishing identity.
Children's publishing
Children's books
The children's list includes picture books, series fiction, family titles, and literary or educational works. Notable associated publications include Duck! Rabbit!, Olive, the Other Reindeer, the Ivy and Bean series, Papa, Do You Love Me?, and Mama, Do You Love Me? Chronicle's children's output is supported by an emphasis on illustration, character, and giftable physical formats.
Food and cooking
Cookbooks and food books
Chronicle publishes cookbooks and books about food, combining recipes and culinary information with photography, illustration, and editorial design. The category sits within the company's broader adult publishing program and contributes to its presence in both bookstores and gift-oriented retail channels.
Film and animation art books
The Art of... series
Chronicle has published at least 25 books in The Art of... series. These volumes document the development of animated films through concept art, production artwork, character design, environments, and commentary. The series has included projects associated with Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Studios.
Gifts and stationery
Gift products and stationery
Beyond books, Chronicle has sold gift accessories such as desktop calendars and related design-led products. Its wider corporate group also includes Galison and Mudpuppy, which operate in stationery, gifts, puzzles, games, and toys, broadening the group's exposure to non-book retail.
Brand decisions
2008
Acquisition of Handprint BooksM&ABackground
Chronicle pursued expansion through acquisitions in adjacent publishing areas.
Action taken
Chronicle Books acquired Handprint Books.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the company's publishing portfolio, although the available reference does not specify financial terms or subsequent operating details.
1999
Acquisition by Nion McEvoyM&ABackground
Other family members were selling assets associated with Chronicle Publishing Company, creating an opportunity for Nion McEvoy to take control of Chronicle Books.
Action taken
McEvoy acquired Chronicle Books and subsequently placed it within the McEvoy Group structure.
Aftermath
The transaction preserved Chronicle Books as an independent private publisher and was followed by the formation of the McEvoy Group in 2000.
Sources2 sources
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