Editions of the Elephants

What Editions of the Elephants does

Les Éditions des Éléphants is an independent French children's book publisher founded in 2015 and headquartered at 16 avenue Robert Schuman in Paris's 7th arrondissement. The company is structured as a société par actions simplifiée unipersonnelle (SASU) with €150,000 in share capital (RCS Paris 789 062 908 00023) and is co-directed by Ilona Meyer and Caroline Drouault. Its catalog spans illustrated albums for general readers, board books (Tout-petits) for toddlers, documentary titles on nature, biodiversity, and human history, the signature Mémoire d'éléphant collection of historical and biographical works, illustrated folk-tale texts, and the Igor et Souky character series. Production relies on a roster of over 100 international authors and illustrators using diverse techniques including watercolors, gouache, ink, pencil, wood and copper engravings, rice paper paintings, and digital drawing.

The publisher's commercial model is built on two streams: direct-to-consumer sales of individual titles through its own e-commerce website at unit prices typically between €13.00 and €18.00, and foreign rights licensing to international publishers, supported by an annual downloadable general catalogue and a separate Foreign Rights Catalogue. It maintains earned-media presence through French children's literature press (Bibliothèque, Paris Môme, Ricochet) and a podcast appearance on Radio Cause Commune, and it operates social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Selected titles have won the 2022 Bologna Ragazzi Award (Fiction Mention) for Fechamos, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Selection for L'Ours Polaire, UNICEF Prix 2022 selection, and multiple French Éducation Nationale selections, and it holds a strategic content partnership with Amnesty International on human-rights-themed books.

Name

Editions of the Elephants

Legal name

Les Éditions des Éléphants

Website

https://les-editions-des-elephants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Éditions des Éléphants is an independent Paris-based children's book publisher founded in 2015, producing illustrated albums, board books, and documentary titles with over 100 international authors and illustrators, sold direct-to-consumer online and via foreign rights licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Illustrated picture books
• Board books for toddlers
• Foreign rights licensing
• Illustrated children's albums

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Direct retail sales of children's albums and illustrated books through their e-commerce website. Products are priced individually (e.g., 13.00€, 14.00€, 15.00€).
2. Foreign Rights Sales: Publication of foreign rights catalog for international licensing of their titles to publishers in other countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Éditions des Éléphants is an independent French children's book publisher that creates, manufactures, and sells illustrated picture books, board books, documentary albums, and illustrated story collections for young readers. Its catalog is organized around named collections (Tout-petits, Albums, Documentaires, Mémoire d'éléphant, Textes illustrés, Igor et Souky) and is sold primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce website, with foreign rights licensed internationally through downloadable rights catalogs.

Product overview

Les Éditions des Éléphants is a French children's book publisher founded in 2015, offering a diverse portfolio of illustrated albums, documentary books, and traditional tale collections for children. The core offerings include picture books for toddlers (Tout-petits with board books featuring rounded corners), general albums for older children, documentary works covering nature and science topics, and the Mémoire d'éléphant collection focusing on historical and biographical stories. The publisher specializes in showcasing varied illustration techniques from traditional methods (watercolors, rice paper paintings, woodcuts) to digital art, and features works from both emerging and internationally recognized artists. They publish in series like Igor et Souky and maintain catalogs available for international rights sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tout-petits (Board Books) Board books designed for toddlers and very young children, with rounded corners and sturdy pages suited to small hands, including titles such as 'Roule Copain' and 'Dis Maman'.
• Albums Children's picture books and illustrated albums for general audiences featuring diverse illustration techniques including watercolors, gouache, ink, woodcuts, copper engravings, rice paper paintings, and digital drawing.
• Documentaires (Documentary Books) Illustrated documentary albums for children covering scientific and cultural topics such as biodiversity, animals, nature, oceans, and human history.
• Mémoire d'éléphant Signature collection featuring true stories, testimonies, and biographies that help decode yesterday's world to better understand today, including works about civil rights heroes and Holocaust testimonies such as 'Ruby Tête Haute' and 'La Maison Bleue'.
• Textes illustrés (Illustrated Stories) Illustrated texts and tales featuring traditional stories from around the world, including Chinese folklore and international folk tales aimed at older children within the publisher's range.
• Igor et Souky A series of children's books featuring recurring characters Igor and Souky, published as part of the publisher's ongoing character-driven lineup for young readers.
• Foreign Rights Licensing International licensing program offering translation and publication rights to Éditions des Éléphants' catalog of illustrated children's titles, marketed to publishers worldwide through an annually updated downloadable rights catalog.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 international authors and illustrators in their catalog
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amnesty InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmnesty International has supported several books published by Éditions des Éléphants including 'Le Grand Incendie' (about freedom of expression), 'Nos Droits, Leurs Combats' (about human rights), and 'Interdit aux Éléphants'. This partnership aligns with the publisher's humanist values and mission to educate children about important social issues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HongFei Cultures: French children's publisher with strong Chinese artistic and literary influences, publishing premium illustrated albums and folk tales. Comparable in international authorship and artistic-illustration focus.
• L'École des Loisirs: One of France's leading independent children's book publishers, producing high-quality illustrated picture books and albums across age ranges. Comparable in product format and target customer, though significantly larger in catalog and market share.
• Actes Sud Junior: Independent French children's imprint of Actes Sud known for artistic, literary, and internationally-flavored picture books. Strong overlap in editorial sensibility and illustrated album format.
• Kaléidoscope: French children's publisher specializing in high-quality illustrated picture books with strong artistic identity. Most directly comparable in size, premium positioning, and illustrated-album focus.
• MeMo Éditions: Small French independent publisher of high-quality illustrated children's books with strong artistic emphasis. Closely comparable in size, premium positioning, and curated catalog approach.
• Thierry Magnier Éditions: French independent children's publisher producing literary and artistic picture books and novels. Comparable in editorial values-driven approach and target age groups.
• Little Urban: French children's book imprint (Seuil) producing illustrated albums, activity books, and gift titles with a contemporary visual identity. Comparable in product range and target market.
• Rue du Monde: Independent French children's book publisher with a similar humanist, values-driven editorial line and emphasis on illustrated albums addressing citizenship, environment, and diversity. Closely comparable in size, mission, and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Gallimard Jeunesse: Major French children's publishing imprint within Éditions Gallimard, publishing illustrated albums, novels, and educational titles. Comparable product line but vastly larger scale and distribution.

Others

• Albin Michel Jeunesse:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/leseditionsdeselephants
• Pinterestpinterest.com/leseditionsdeselephants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-editions-des-elephants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Editions of the Elephants