Today we are pleased to share this guest post from L
ibrarian and Diversity Coordinator Laura Reiko Simeon on ageism in children’s literature. Welcome, Laura! Continue reading
How to Use Family Diversity and Family Structures to Teach Empathy
In this interview with The Open Book, guest blogger Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas, Director of Not in Our School, shares the organization’s latest video release about families and family structures. Not in Our School is part of the larger organization of Not in Our Town and focuses on empowering students to create safe, inclusive, and empathetic communities.
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” —from “Human Family” by Maya Angelou (listen to Maya Angelou read the poem here) Continue reading
International Jazz Day: Seven Books that Celebrate Jazz
Music transcends language and culture, letting its listeners be united by something beyond words. That is why UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated April 30th to be International Jazz Day. This day serves to highlight jazz’s “diplomatic role in uniting people in all corners of the globe.”
Celebrate International Jazz Day with these seven books about Jazz from LEE & LOW BOOKS: Continue reading
Illustrator Jessica Lanan Takes Us Behind the Art of The Story I’ll Tell
Released last fall from LEE & LOW BOOKS, The Story I’ll Tell is 
a gentle and moving story of adoption and parental love that is sure to touch the hearts of readers everywhere, no matter how they came to be a family. It has received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, which called it “an unabashed love letter, one that many families will treasure.”
We asked illustrator Jessica Lanan to take us behind the scenes of her art process bringing The Story I’ll Tell to life: Continue reading
Poetry Friday: Animal Poems of the Iguazú/Animalario del Iguazú
April is National Poetry Month! All month long we’ll be celebrating by posting some of our favorite poems for Poetry Friday. To celebrate Earth Day, for today’s Poetry Friday, we chose a poem from Animal Poems of the Iguazú/Animalario del Iguazú, written by Francisco X. Alarcón and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Continue reading
Interview: Nikki Grimes on Writing Poetry
Poems in the Attic is a collection of poetry that creates a tender intergenerational story that speaks to every child’s need to hold onto special memories of home, no matter where that place might be. We interviewed master poet Nikki Grimes on her process for writing poetry and if she has any tips to share. Continue reading
How to Be an Explorer in Your Own Backyard: The Olinguito Activity Kit and Teacher’s Guide
Have you ever wanted to take a trip to the cloud forest? Explore the Andes of Ecuador? Discover a new species? Well, you’re in luck. Continue reading
Pohela Boishakh: 3 Things That Celebrate the Bengali New Year
“Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho. Come, O Boishakh, Come, Come”
– Rabindranath Tagore
Growing up in a home filled with the rich culture of my Muslim and Bengali heritage, I was fortunate enough to take part in multiple New Year celebrations. Every year, April 14 celebrates the arrival of the Bengali New Year or Pohela Boishakh, part of a unique calendar system determined by the seasons. It’s one of my favorite holidays, filled with a blend of colorful traditions and communal reflection. My relatives back home in Bangladesh celebrated the holiday with elaborate festivities that include going around town visiting family and friends, dressing up in traditional garb, and attending parades showcasing talented Bengali artists and performers. Here in America, the celebrations are not quite as elaborate but the traditions are kept alive within the Bengali community. Here are three things that are always a must in my home:
Come Meet LEE & LOW BOOKS at TLA 2016!
The Texas Library Association Annual Conference is next week and we’re so excited to meet everyone! The conference takes place in the George R. Brown Convention Center and LEE & LOW will be Booth #1746!
See below for our signing schedule as well as a few other events that our authors and illustrators will be participating in: Continue reading
Cover Reveal: SHAME THE STARS
Shame the Stars by Pura Belpré Award-winning author Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Summer of the Mariposas, Under the Mesquite) is a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set against the Mexican Revolution in 1915 Texas.
Shame the Stars is set to be released Fall 2016! We’re excited to share a first look at the cover with you today. Continue reading