Founders Shimul Tolia and Thomas Morgan have purchased Little Bee Books from Bonnier Books. Tolia and Morgan launched Little Bee Books as a U.S. children's division of Bonnier Books in 2014; in 2018, Bonnier Books, which is based in Sweden, began consolidating some of its overseas publishing operations.
Little Bee Books will continue to publish under three imprints: Little Bee Books, covering board books, picture books and early chapter books; BuzzPop, handling licensed books, media tie-ins and pop-culture titles; and Yellow Jacket, a middle-grade imprint launched in 2018. Some of Little Bee Books' standout titles include The Roots of Rap by Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison and Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie.
Tolia, Little Bee's CEO, said: "It is with great pride and gratitude that we are undertaking this purchase of Little Bee Books— pride in the incredible effort and creativity that has come from a small startup just five years ago, and gratitude to all of those who helped bring our books to life from Bonnier to all of our staff, past and current."
Morgan, Little Bee's chief financial officer, added: "We look forward to taking our business to the next level while remaining steadfast in our purpose: inspiring, empowering, and entertaining readers."
The company will remain in its current offices and no personnel changes have been announced. Simon & Schuster will continue to distribute Little Bee titles.