Hachette Jeunesse

What Hachette Jeunesse does

Hachette Jeunesse is a French children's book publisher headquartered in Vanves, operating as a division within the Hachette Livre group, one of Europe's largest trade publishing houses. The company publishes children's books across multiple formats — story books, activity books, coloring books, sticker books, and agendas — with heritage sub-brands Bibliothèque Rose and Bibliothèque Verte targeting different age segments. Its catalog is built primarily on licensed content from major entertainment IP holders, with 40+ franchises under management including Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Barbie, Pokémon, and Astérix. The legal entity is HACHETTE LIVRE – Hachette Jeunesse Licences, a French public limited company with €6,260,976 in share capital, under Director of Publication Myriam Héricier-Vurpillot.

The business model is licensing-led B2C publishing. Hachette Jeunesse acquires rights from entertainment IP holders, develops branded books around those characters, and sells finished product at €6.50–€9.95 per unit. Distribution runs through three channels: the company's own e-commerce platform, third-party retailers (mass-market chains, bookstores, online marketplaces), and the broader Hachette Livre physical bookstore and distribution network. The mid-market price point and broad channel coverage position the publisher in the French mass-market segment rather than the premium or specialty niche.

Recent operational activity indicates active portfolio expansion: four new licensed franchises were added in 2024–2025 (Furby in January 2025; One Piece, Monster High, and Sonic in June 2024), alongside launches of new own-product sub-brands including Maxi-Colo, Cosy Colo, 300 Colos, and Les Moodz. The company also operates seasonal consumer marketing campaigns including coloring contests and back-to-school agenda promotions. The business is wholly owned within the Hachette Livre / Lagardère group structure, with no independent funding events, M&A, leadership transitions, or public-market signals visible in the available data.

Name

Hachette Jeunesse

Legal name

HACHETTE LIVRE – Hachette Jeunesse Licences

Website

https://hachette-jeunesse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hachette Jeunesse is a French children's book publisher headquartered in Vanves, operating within the Hachette Livre group. It publishes story, activity, coloring, and sticker books across 40+ licensed franchises including Paw Patrol, Barbie, and Pokémon, distributing via retail, e-commerce, and Hachette's bookstore network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE), Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Activity books
• Coloring books
• Licensed character books
• Storybooks for children

Headquarters

HQ city

Vanves

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Physical and digital book sales including storybooks, activity books, coloring books, and sticker books featuring licensed characters
2. Licensing Royalties: Revenue from licensing publishing rights for entertainment properties such as Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Barbie, Pokemon, Dragons, Monsieur Madame, and others

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hachette Jeunesse publishes and distributes children's books including activity books, coloring books, board books, and storybooks. Its catalog features titles built around licensed entertainment franchises such as Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Astérix, Monsieur Madame, and Pokemon, sold directly via the hachettejeunesse.com e-commerce site and through third-party retail channels.

Product overview

Hachette Jeunesse is a children's book publisher and licensing house operating under the Hachette Livre group. The company publishes a diverse portfolio of children's books and activity materials across multiple licensed franchises including Paw Patrol/La Pat' Patrouille, Peppa Pig, Astérix, Monsieur Madame (Mr. Men/Little Miss), Dragons, Pokémon, L.O.L. Surprise!, Bluey, Barbie, Monster High, Rainbow High, Sonic, and many others. The product portfolio includes several sub-brand series: the 300 Colos (300-page coloring books), J'habille (dress-up sticker books), Maxi-Colo (large coloring books), Cosy Colo (relaxation coloring books), and standard Agendas (planners). Product formats span story books, activity books with stickers and coloring, puzzles, and themed collections. The company also operates contest/games (jeux-concours) and maintains La Bibliothèque Rose, a novel series for older children. The catalog spans 141 pages with continuous new releases and upcoming publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bibliothèque Rose: A collection of novels for children featuring film and TV series characters.
• Bibliothèque Verte

Products and services

• Paw Patrol children's books Children's books (stories, activity books, coloring books) built around the Paw Patrol licensed entertainment franchise, targeted at preschool-aged children and gift buyers.
• Peppa Pig children's books Storybooks and activity books featuring the Peppa Pig licensed character franchise, aimed at preschool-aged children and family gift purchasers.
• Astérix children's books Children's editions and adapted titles from the Astérix comic franchise, distributed under license from the rights holder and sold to family readers.
• Monsieur Madame children's books Children's books featuring the Monsieur Madame (Mr. Men & Little Miss) franchise, sold as heritage character titles for young readers.
• Pokémon children's books Children's books and activity titles built around the Pokémon franchise, licensed from the rights holder and sold to young readers and gift buyers.
• Activity books General activity books for children including puzzles, games, and interactive content across various licensed and non-licensed themes.
• Coloring books Children's coloring books featuring licensed characters and standalone artwork, sold for creative play at home.
• Storybooks Original and adapted children's storybooks across licensed and in-house titles, targeting early and independent readers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mattel (Barbie, Monster High)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing children's books under Barbie and Monster High brands in the French market
• DreamWorks Animation (Dragons, Trolls)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing children's books based on DreamWorks Animation properties Dragons and Trolls
• Universal Studios (Minions)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Minions and related Universal Studios properties
• Sanrio (Monsieur Madame)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Mr. Men/Little Miss (Monsieur Madame) books in France
• Spin Master (Paw Patrol/La Pat' Patrouille)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Paw Patrol (La Pat' Patrouille) books and activity materials
• Hasbro/Entertainment One (Peppa Pig)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Peppa Pig books and activity materials
• Nintendo (Pokémon)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Pokémon books and activity materials
• Les Éditions Albert René (Astérix)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Astérix books featuring Obélix and Idéfix
• SEGA (Sonic)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Sonic the Hedgehog books and activity materials
• I.M.P.S. (Les Schtroumpfs/The Smurfs)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Smurfs (Schtroumpfs) books and activity materials
• Viacom (Tortues Ninja/Ninja Turtles)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Tortues Ninja) books
• Rainbow S.r.l. (Winx Club)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Winx Club books and activity materials
• Animaccord (Masha et Michka)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Masha and the Bear (Masha et Michka) books
• ZAG (Miraculous)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for publishing Miraculous Ladybug books and activity materials
• Hachette LivrecoreOthersParent company group providing distribution network, brand reputation, and publishing infrastructure. Hachette Jeunesse Licences is a publishing house within the Hachette Livre group.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Le Lombard: Belgian/French children's comics and graphic novel publisher (home of Astérix-adjacent franchises). Competes in the French-language children's comics and graphic novel publishing space.
• Gallimard Jeunesse: French children's book imprint of Éditions Gallimard, publishing story books, activity books, and educational titles for French-speaking children. Direct competitor in the same French market with overlapping age ranges and product formats.
• Usborne Publishing: UK-based children's book publisher with strong activity, sticker, and novelty book lines. Comparable in format mix (activity, coloring, sticker) and target audience, though focused on English-speaking markets.
• Albin Michel Jeunesse: Major French children's publishing division of Albin Michel, producing picture books, novels, and activity titles. Competes head-to-head with Hachette Jeunesse in the French market for licensed and original children's IP.
• Egmont Publishing: European children's book and magazine publisher across multiple European markets, producing activity books and licensed character titles. Comparable in licensed/activity book positioning and European footprint.
• Édition Lito: French children's book publisher specializing in activity books, coloring books, and licensed character titles. Closely comparable to Hachette Jeunesse's core activity book and coloring portfolio.
• Éditions Fleurus / Mame: French children's and family book publisher producing activity books, early learning titles, and licensed character books. Overlaps materially with Hachette Jeunesse's activity book and educational segments.

Broad incumbents

• Penguin Random House Children's Books: Global children's publishing division of Penguin Random House, including licensed character titles and activity books. Comparable in product scope and licensed IP strategy, though operates at much larger scale.
• Scholastic: Global children's book publisher operating across trade, education, and licensed character titles. Comparable through its licensed and series-based children's publishing portfolio, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Geronimo Stilton / Edizioni Piemme (Mondadori): Italian children's publisher (part of Mondadori Group) with strong licensed character and illustrated book portfolio. Comparable in product scope but primarily serves Italian-speaking markets rather than France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hachette Jeunesse