Lee & Low Looks to Bring Diverse Children’s Books to Independent Bookstores

In 1991, Tom Low and Philip Lee, two businessmen with no publishing experience but with a passion for bringing diverse books to the masses, established the publishing house Lee & Low Books, known today for its inclusive, award-winning titles.

While Lee & Low’s primary customer base over the years has been schools, libraries, and other educational institutions, the company is looking to expand its reach and establish new relationships with the independent bookselling market, particularly in light of the recent push for more diverse books to be available to all interested readers.

“We really want to work more with booksellers and make it easier for them to find out about our books. I think it’s so important for our books to be available in communities and not just through institutions,” said Hannah Ehrlich, Lee & Low’s director of marketing and publicity. Many titles from Lee & Low are now listed on Edelweiss and are available for booksellers to order through the publisher, Ingram, or Baker & Taylor. Details about Lee & Low’s terms can be found in the Book Buyers Handbook.

Among its five imprints — Bebop Books, Lee & Low, Tu Books, Children’s Book Press, and Shen’s Books — the house publishes 15 to 20 books a year across two seasons (soon to include winter). Its picture books, middle grade, and young adult titles are all aimed at fostering diversity and speaking to a variety of ethnic groups.

Lee & Low books have gone on to win many honors, including the Coretta Scott King Award, Pura Belpre Award, Parents’ Choice Award, and Jane Addams Peace Award.  They have received starred reviews in such publications as Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal and been featured in Child Magazine’s Best Books and Reading Rainbow.

“We are a very mission-driven organization. Everyone here believes in this underlying mission that these books are important and they make a difference in people’s lives,” said Ehrlich.

The company’s first list, which included Baseball Saved Us (written by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated by Dom Lee), premiered in 1993. Featuring a boy playing baseball in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, Baseball Saved Us “really put us on the map,” said Ehrlich. “We got some pushback from people who felt it wasn’t appropriate to talk about topics like this in a children’s book, but now, 20 years later, people are much more comfortable with these topics being discussed in picture books.”

Despite the opposition, many people, especially teachers and parents, came to widely praise the book. “The incredibly positive response allowed us to keep going,” said Ehrlich. “And over the years we’ve built up relationships around the country with booksellers who have gravitated to us because they also want to be carrying diverse books in their collections.”

Booksellers interested in offering diverse books for children will find a host of Lee & Low books across many genres, reading levels, and languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. Many of the titles are also Common Core-aligned and are offered with supplementary materials, including reading level details, lesson plans, and discussion questions.

All of Lee & Low’s frontlist titles are now available on Edelweiss, with its backlist to follow by the end of the year. Booksellers can also access advance reader copies through Edelweiss. Printed catalogs are available by request or can be viewed as PDFs here.

To learn more about Lee & Low Books and to inquire about hardcopy catalogs or advance copies, setting up an account with the company, or arranging an appointment with a Lee & Low representative, booksellers can contact Hannah Ehrlich via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (212) 779-4400, extension 29. While Lee & Low does not currently exhibit at BookExpo America, booksellers are also welcome to contact Ehrlich to coordinate an appointment with a Lee & Low representative at the event.

Booksellers can stay informed about new and upcoming titles through any of Lee & Low’s e-newsletters, sent once a month and streamlined to deliver critical information in a concise format. Sign up here.