# Lee & Low Books

Lee & Low Books is an independent children's book publisher focusing on diversity.

## History

Lee & Low was founded in 1991 by Chinese Americans Tom Low and Philip Lee as a children's book publisher specializing in books featuring people of color and one of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the United States. Low says, "There was a void in children's books. Most of the books were targeted to Caucasians or contained animals or fairy tales. There was nothing dealing with contemporary issues and people of color.". Lee & Low published its first list in 1993 and immediately gained attention when its first book, Baseball Saved Us was given a full-page review in The New York Times Book Review.
In 1997, founder Tom Low's sons, Jason Low and Craig Low, joined Lee & Low, and in 2004, founder Philip Lee retired.
Lee & Low Books publishes primarily picture books, but in recent years has also published a small number of middle grade and young adult titles.
In January 2012, Lee & Low Books acquired the backlist titles of the now-defunct non-profit publisher, Children's Book Press, as well as the latter's existing contracts with authors and illustrators, with the name itself being revived as an imprint of Lee & Low Books.
In 2021, Lee & Low acquired Cinco Puntos Press.

## Research

In 2015, Lee & Low Books partnered with St. Catherine University and Assistant Professor Sarah Park Dahlen to conduct the Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS). The objectives were to look at 1) Gender 2) Race/ethnicity 3) Sexual Orientation 4) Disability in the publishing industry.
The Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS) was sent to 1,524 reviewer employees and 11,713 publishing employees for a total of 13,237 surveys deployed. The DBS survey results confirmed that the publishing industry is overwhelmingly white, at 79%, which corresponded with the numbers from Publishers Weekly's annual salary survey.

## Arcoiris: books in Spanish

In 1994, Lee & Low began to publish Spanish/English bilingual books and Spanish translations of many of their English titles. The name Arcoiris, Spanish for rainbow, was chosen to reflect the diversity of the books and subject matter.

## Bebop Books

Founded in 2000, Bebop Books is an educational imprint of Lee & Low. Bebop Books prints leveled books for early readers in English and Spanish.

## Tu Books

Tu Books is an imprint of Lee & Low. Tu Books publishes middle grade and young adult science fiction, fantasy, and mystery featuring people of color or set in worlds inspired by non-Western folklore or culture.
Tu Books was founded as Tu Publishing in 2009 by Stacy Whitman, a freelance children's book editor. In March 2010, Whitman joined Lee & Low as editorial director of the new imprint.

## New Voices Award

In 2000, Lee & Low Books established the New Voices Award to encourage writers of color. The award is open to any United States resident of color who has not had a children's picture book published previously. A winner receives $1000 and a standard publication contract, while an Honor Award winner receives $500. While Honor Award winners are not guaranteed publication, several honor books have been published.
New Voices Award recipients
| Year | Author | Book | Citation | Published |
| 2010 | Jane Bahk | Juna's Jar | Winner | 2015 |
| 2010 | Muon Van | Village by the Sea | Honor | |
| 2009 | Tiare Williams Solorzano | Little Fish | Honor | |
| 2008 | Hayan Charara | The Three Lucys | Honor | |
| 2007 | Pamela M. Tuck | A Fly in a Bowl of Milk | Winner | 2012 |
| 2007 | Katie Yamasaki | Edwin's Lucky Thirteen | Honor | |
| 2006 | Gloria Armand Sheppard | Love Twelve Miles Long | Winner | 2011 |
| 2006 | Janet Costa Bates | Seaside Dream | Honor | 2010 |
| 2005 | Don Tate | It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw | Honor | 2012 |
| 2005 | Zetta Elliott | Bird | Honor | 2008 |
| 2004 | Carmen Bogan | Fit Like Frankie | Honor | |
| 2003 | Paula Yoo | Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story | Winner | 2005 |
| 2003 | Lisette Norman | My Feet are Laughing | Honor | 2006 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) |
| 2002 | Adrienne Lorraine Bayton | Dance, Nishi, Dance | Honor | |
| 2001 | Patricia Smith | Janna and the Kings | Winner | 2003 |
| 2001 | Denise Vega | Superhombre | Honor | |
| 2000 | Linda Boyden | The Blue Roses | Winner | 2002 |
| 2000 | Stanley Todd Terasaki | Ghosts for Breakfast | Honor | 2002 |
| 2000 | Therese On Louie | Raymond's Perfect Present | Honor | 2002 |

## Major awards

Books published by Lee & Low have received several major awards, including some given by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association (IRA), and the New York Public Library.
Major awards won by Lee & Low Books
| Award | Citation | Year | Creator | Book |
| Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award | Winner | 2011 | G. Neri | Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty |
| Coretta Scott King Author Award | Winner | 1974 | Sharon Bell Mathis | Ray Charles |
| Coretta Scott King Author Award | Honor | 1976 | Eloise Greenfield | Paul Robeson |
| Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award | Winner | 1998 | Javaka Steptoe | In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers |
| Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award | Winner | 1974 | George Ford (illustrator) | Ray Charles |
| Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award | Honor | 1997 | R. Gregory Christie | The Palm of my Heart: Poetry by African American Children |
| Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award | Honor | 2006 | R. Gregory Christie | Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan |
| Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Illustrator Award | Winner | 2009 | Shadra Strickland | Bird |
| Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award | Winner | 2009 | Shadra Strickland | Bird |
| Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award | Winner | 1999 | Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen | Elizabeti's Doll |
| Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award | Winner | 1999 | Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen | Elizabeti's Doll |
| Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award | Honor | 2013 | Don Tate | It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Winner | 2003 | Nancy Andrews-Goebel | The Pot that Juan Built |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Notable | 2006 | Mary Williams | Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Notable | 2006 | Paula Yoo | Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Notable | 2005 | EdNah New Rider Weber | Rattlesnake Mesa |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Notable | 2005 | Debbie A. Taylor | Sweet Music in Harlem |
| IRA Children's Book Award | Notable | 2004 | Patricia Smith | Janna and the Kings |
| Pura Belpré Illustrator Award | Honor | 2010 | John Parra | Gracias • Thanks |
| Pura Belpré Illustrator Award | Honor | 2006 | Lulu Delacre | Arrorró, mi niño: Latino Lullabies and Gentle Games |
| Pura Belpré Illustrator Award | Honor | 2004 | Robert Casilla | First Day in Grapes |
| Pura Belpré Illustrator Award | Honor | 2004 | David Diaz | The Pot that Juan Built |

## Notable authors and illustrators

Authors and illustrators with work published by Lee & Low Books include:
* Lulu Delacre
* Ted Lewin
* Betsy Lewin
* Joseph Bruchac
* Ed Young
* Rosa Parks
* Carole Boston Weatherford
* Pat Mora
* David Diaz
* George Ancona
* John Coy
* Lynne Barasch
* Benny Andrews
* Jim Haskins
* Chris Soentpiet
* Greg Neri
* Kaylani Juanita