It’s a busy weekend with all of the news coming out from the New York Toy Fair starting to surface. In the meantime, I received notice of an interesting competition from Chronicle Books, announcing a new publishing line aimed squarely at the adult market. As we have seen, with the increased number of sets aimed at adult LEGO Fans, we are an increasingly important market for LEGO. In a presentation the Nuremberg toy fair, it was announced that (in Germany at least) 10% of the revenue from LEGO purchases was from purchases being made for adults.

In collaboration with The LEGO Group, Chronicle are releasing a number of books and stationary products, aimed at the adult market in April this year.

One of the first of these, LEGO® Still Life with Bricks: The Art of Everyday Play, sees unconnected LEGO bricks transformed into everyday objects and and scenes. With an associated set of Postcards also available, I really like the way that the bricks are being utilised in a new way.

Another Book, LEGO® Small Parts: The Secret Life of Minifigures will be released at the same time, and features brick based comic stories, with an AFOL twist.

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I love the humour in these set ups, and I suspect that the only reason I won’t receive 5 copies for my birthday is that it occurs about 2 weeks before the book is released.

In conjunction with the April release, Chronicle are releasing note a line of decorated stationary, including journals, note bricks and erasers.

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And if you are looking for something a little more puzzling, perhaps the Paint Puzzle Jigsaw has a little more appeal…

To commemorate the forthcoming release, and for a chance to win a complete set of Chronicle’s LEGO range they are running a competition – the LEGOStillLife Challenge. You can read details here . Compose your own ‘still life’ using unconnected LEGO Bricks, and share it publicly on instagram or twitter, with the ##LEGOStillLife and #ChroniclexLEGO. Go to the website, and fill in the entry form including the link to your post. Unfortunately, entries are only open to US residents at present. If you are entering, I’d love to see what you’ve created: tag me in your post! The contest closes March 29th, 2020.

All of these products are available to preorder in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia, and will be released in early April, 2020.

Here’s the press release in full…

New LEGO® Publishing Line for Adults by Chronicle Books

San Francisco, CA – In collaboration with The LEGO Group, Chronicle Books is releasing eight new licensed LEGO® products this April. The products are the first in a new line for adults, including books, games, journals, stationery, and desk décor, developed by the independent publisher in partnership with the iconic toy brand.

Known for its entertainment, art, and humor gifts, games, and books, Chronicle Books combined its distinct design with the creativity of the LEGO® brand to develop a unique line that would appeal to all ages. As more adults turn to LEGO® brick building as a way to reduce stress and improve well-being, the LEGO® products by Chronicle Books offer creative ways to express, engage, and share a love for LEGO® bricks with friends and family. 

“LEGO® fandom is special in so many ways, but it’s particularly unique in the way it spans generations. We all share a collective joy in clicking bricks together—no matter your age,” said Chronicle Books Senior Editor Brittany McInerney. “With The LEGO Group, we wanted to create something fresh and sophisticated to appeal to a wide spectrum of LEGO® fans. That includes everyone from nostalgic adults and parents converted by their kids, to deeply committed collectors and die-hard builders. We’re proud to launch with an exciting range of books and gifts that represents a true collaboration with our partners at The LEGO Group, and we’ll be rolling out even more in 2021.”

“The LEGO® Brick and the LEGO® Minifigure are timeless icons that embody the creativity, imagination, and fun at the heart of the LEGO®experience,” said The LEGO Group Director of Licensing – Publishing Robin Pearson. “Through our collaboration with Chronicle Books, we are finding new ways to explore these icons with books and gifts that will surprise and delight LEGO® fans of all ages.”

Inside the book LEGO® Still Life with Bricks: The Art of Everyday Play, LEGO® bricks are imaginatively transformed into everyday objects and scenes: houseplants, sushi, balloons, and more. Eye-catching and contemporary, it’s LEGO® bricks through an artistic lens, with creations and colors that pop from every page. Select images from LEGO® Still Life with Bricks are featured in a collection of 100 postcards by the same name. 

LEGO® Small Parts: The Secret Life of Minifigures is a hilarious look inside the day-to-day life, love, and leisure of the tiny LEGO® icon. Filled with inside jokes and tongue-in-cheek humor for adult fans, LEGO® Small Parts welcomes reader to their world, where they’re just like us – only without the fingers and noses.

For more hands-on fun, LEGO® Paint Party Puzzle is a whole new way to build with LEGO® bricks. The 1,000 puzzle pieces come together to reveal a rainbow of paint cans…with a LEGO® twist.

Inspired by the classic LEGO® brick, the desk décor and stationery is perfect for the office, school, home, or wherever you want to bring it. The products include a double-sided LEGO® Brick Notebook journal, a pack of eight colorful LEGO® Brick Erasers, and two multicolor LEGO® Note Brick note sheet sets that double as keepsake boxes.

The LEGO® products by Chronicle Books line goes on sale April 2020 and the first products are available for preorder now on chroniclebooks.com/LEGO. Future publishing includes LEGO® The Art of the Minifigure and LEGO® We Just Click, due out in late 2020.

Starting February 21, 2020, visitors to chroniclebooks.com/LEGO can enter the #LEGOStillLife Challenge by posting a photo of their own artistic creation using only unconnected bricks on Twitter or Instagram.

I am a sucker for a LEGO themed notebook, so I suspect I shall be looking at those a little closer. What do you think? Are you a sucker for Plastic brick themed stationery, or photo books featuring creative uses for LEGO? why not comment below, and until next time,

Play Well.