Author Michele Wong McSween on Turning Heritage Into a Bilingual Book Empire and Why Kids’ Stories Still Matter
…The first thing is, you have to be persistent and persevere. The ideas will come — ideas are almost the easy part — but it’s having the motivation and persistence to keep going because it’s hard. It’s really hard. Talk to any entrepreneur and they’ll tell you: there are so many days when you just want to give up and throw in the towel. But you have to stay persistent and never give up…
I had the pleasure of talking with Michele Wong McSween. Michele is a children’s author, cultural advocate, and former fashion designer whose work aims to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps for young readers. A fourth-generation Chinese American, McSween grew up in Sacramento, California, in a family that had largely assimilated into American culture. Despite her Chinese heritage, she did not learn to speak Mandarin as a child, an absence that would later inspire her professional journey.
Born in Germany during her father’s military service, McSween spent her formative years in California, where the emphasis within her community and family was on fitting in rather than maintaining ancestral languages and traditions. Her understanding of her cultural roots was limited primarily to surface-level celebrations of major holidays like Chinese New Year. It was only after the birth of her own children that McSween began to fully confront the generational loss of language and tradition within her family.
Living in Brooklyn, New York, a city known for its cultural diversity, McSween was inspired to reconnect with her heritage and to ensure that her children developed a deeper understanding of their identity. Enrolling her family in Mandarin language classes, she quickly discovered a scarcity of accessible educational materials for non-fluent Chinese American families. Faced with a lack of resources, McSween turned to creating her own.
In 2008, she self-published Gordon & Li Li: Words for Everyday, introducing young readers to basic English and Mandarin vocabulary through colorful illustrations and phonetic guides. The series centers around two panda cousins, Gordon from Brooklyn and Li Li from Beijing, offering a playful and approachable entry point into bilingual learning. One of the big driving forces behind her creating the Gordon & Li Li series was to promote the pride and confidence that children gain through learning, helping them strengthen their sense of identity and possibility. Two subsequent titles, Gordon & Li Li: Count in Mandarin and Gordon & Li Li: Learn Animals in Mandarin, followed in 2010.
Despite having no prior experience in publishing, McSween persisted in promoting her books through grassroots efforts — reading at schools, working with bookstores, and participating in community events. Over time, her efforts culminated in selling approximately 17,000 to 18,000 copies independently, a significant milestone that attracted the attention of major publisher Scholastic Inc. In 2017, Scholastic acquired her titles and released My First Mandarin Words with Gordon & Li Li in 2018, bringing her work to a broader national audience and achieving the #1 ranking on Amazon in the Children’s Chinese Language Books category across multiple years.
McSween’s Gordon & Li Li franchise has since expanded, including books such as Gordon & Li Li: Colors in Mandarin, Gordon & Li Li Celebrate the Chinese New Year (2nd Edition), and corresponding coloring and activity books. She also developed an educational app, Gordon & Li Li: Learn Animals in Mandarin, available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, further diversifying the ways families can engage with Mandarin learning.
Her latest release, Gordon & Li Li: All About Me (2025), continues the bilingual education series, focusing on anatomy terms in English and Mandarin. McSween describes this installment as particularly interactive, encouraging children and parents to connect through movement and physical engagement while learning basic vocabulary. She has also announced a forthcoming title, Gordon & Li Li: ABC’s in NYC, reflecting her long-standing ties to New York City.
Before entering the world of children’s literature, McSween pursued a career in fashion. After studying fashion merchandising and working at the Gap’s buying office, she transitioned into fashion design, eventually relocating to New York to advance her creative aspirations. Her global travel experiences during this period deepened her appreciation for cultural diversity, later influencing her desire to create educational tools that foster connection and understanding among families.
In interviews, McSween has cited persistence, curiosity, and a commitment to kindness as key principles guiding her work. She emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and self-care, lessons she hopes to pass on not only to her readers but to her own children as well.
Today, McSween remains deeply engaged in community outreach, especially during events like Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. She frequently participates in readings, workshops, and cultural celebrations, particularly those organized by and for Asian American communities. Through her Instagram platform and website, she keeps her audience informed about upcoming events and new releases, encouraging continued dialogue around language, heritage, and identity.
McSween’s broader vision extends beyond books and apps. She aspires to adapt Gordon & Li Li into an animated series, expanding the brand’s educational mission to screen media and reaching an even wider audience of children and families worldwide.
Yitzi: Michele, it’s a delight and an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share with us the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
Michele: Oh, the pleasure is mine. Thank you, Yitzi. Sure. I grew up in Sacramento, California. I am a fourth-generation Chinese American. I was actually born in Germany. Chinese German American. I was born there because my father was drafted into the army. He, my mom, and my two older brothers went off to Germany, and I was born there. I only lived there for about a year, so I don’t really remember anything except from the pictures I’ve seen.
I was raised in Sacramento. My great-grandfather came from Toisan, China. He was an intellectual, so he wasn’t part of the railroad workers. He actually helped start bringing over people from our village. He was one of the main figures who helped bring over a lot of the paper sons.
So, I’m a fourth-generation Chinese American. With that focus on trying to assimilate, I never grew up with the gift of speaking Chinese. We were so concerned about trying to fit in, be American, and speak without an accent. It didn’t really hit me until later on when I had my own children. Living in New York, a very multicultural city, it dawned on me that I was really missing out on that part of my culture.
My grandparents celebrated Chinese New Year, but in a very surface-level way. Everyone spoke English. So, my connection to my culture growing up was just, “Oh, this is what we do,” but we didn’t dive much deeper.
My journey into reconnecting with my culture and wanting to learn Mandarin really stemmed from having my own children. I realized I am their last connection to our heritage. Being half Chinese, they were becoming further and further removed from it. I felt this immense pressure, almost like a fire was lit under me, to teach them about our culture, to teach them about our heritage, and to have them grow up appreciating it early on.
My appreciation came much later in life, and I do feel bad about that. But that was my experience — growing up wanting to assimilate, not wanting to be made fun of on the playground, wanting to be like my blonde-haired, blue-eyed friends. It’s a very common story even today. So you can imagine how it was growing up in the 70s, trying so hard to fit in.
But being on this journey and meeting so many families just like mine has really validated everything I set out to do with Gordon & Li Li, which is to connect families with our culture in a gentle, easy, and fun way.
It’s interesting because I actually came from a fashion design background. I wanted to be in fashion, but being from a Chinese American family, that wasn’t really encouraged. You were expected to become a doctor, lawyer, or go into business. I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer — thank goodness my brothers took that hit for me. I wanted to study fashion, and I thought, maybe my parents would understand if I approached it from the business side. I figured I could become a merchant, working in the buying office of the fashion world.
I made it into fashion merchandising with the Gap. That had been my goal all through college. But after a while, I felt like something was missing. I wanted more of the creative side. So I went back to school, studied fashion design, and eventually moved to New York to become a fashion designer.
Of course, everything changed when I had kids. I knew I wanted to raise them myself, to teach them, to nurture them. That’s when this whole second career suddenly came into being.
So that’s my long, roundabout way of telling you my origin story.
Yitzi: You have an amazing career. Before we talk about your books, can you share one or two stories that stand out most in your mind from your professional life?
Michele: Okay. The fashion career was incredible. I really came into my own in that job. I got to travel the world, met incredible friends, creative people, and really honed in on what I wanted my world to look like. Being able to travel exposed me to so many different cultures that I hadn’t really learned about before. Growing up in Sacramento, it was pretty insular. Moving to New York helped a lot, but really traveling to different countries, hearing the languages, eating the food, seeing what people did on a regular basis, and experiencing their kindness — it opened my eyes to this incredibly diverse and beautiful world we all belong to.
When I left that career and moved into this brand-new one, I brought all those experiences with me into being an author. That became the root of what I wanted this series to do — connect. I feel like connecting people through language, culture, and traditions is one of the beautiful things in life. It helps us realize that we’re all kind of the same. We all love the same, we all respect our parents the same.
What’s really memorable about my second career as an author are the stories I hear over and over again. People tell me, “Your books helped me connect with my parents. We didn’t speak Chinese to each other, and your books are helping me start on that path.” They tell me the books aren’t intimidating, which is something I struggled with when I was looking for books myself. A lot of them felt overwhelming, especially for someone like me who didn’t grow up speaking Chinese. I really wanted to take the stigma out of learning Chinese because it’s difficult. Even though over a billion people speak it, it’s really hard. You’re dealing with characters instead of letters, and it’s a tonal language, which works a different part of your brain.
Connecting with people in person is one of my favorite things. I love in-person events. People always want to share their personal stories, and that just fills my bucket — it reminds me that I’m doing the right thing. It’s so fulfilling and wonderful to hear these stories.
To me, it’s really about connecting. Both of my careers, the things that mean the most to me, are about connecting with people, with culture, and bringing it all together through understanding, kindness, and curiosity about one another.
Yitzi: So, please tell us about your book series. Can you tell us about your latest book and why you think our readers should read it — or read it to their children?
Michele: I have to say, All About Me is probably the most fun book I’ve done. I have three boys, and they love acting out. They’re boys, they have a lot of energy. I think this book really allows parents and kids to come together in a fun, silly, and engaging way because you’re teaching parts of the body. It’s such a tangible thing — you can point to your eyes, wiggle your nose, wiggle your ears, tickle your belly.
I’ve always found that books are a way to connect with kids. Storytime was always my favorite time of the day, reading with my kids at bedtime. I always wanted my books to be the kind you could snuggle up with at bedtime. Though, mind you, our bedtimes were not always quiet! I fear this book might make kids a little more excited, but that’s okay. I also think that Gordon & Li Li can provide quiet moments too.
My nephew is one, and when I read him this book, I can be very quiet with him — point to his nose and say, “This is your bízi,” or “This is your zuǐba.” But with my five-year-old niece, who’s full of energy, we can stand up, wiggle our arms, and shake our legs. It’s just a fun way for parents and kids to interpret the book however they want.
These early concepts are so important for any language. I was just in Barcelona, and I realized how essential it is to know simple phrases and concepts. They really open the door to any culture. So whether it’s Mandarin or Spanish, it’s about connection.
Connecting in a really simple, easy, gentle way through early concepts is the best because you’re relaxed. All About Me ends with the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” song, which everybody knows. It’s such a fun, easy way to reinforce the learning after reading the book. You can get up, do the motions, and it just becomes a really sweet way to learn about body parts.
Yitzi: I’d love to hear more about your story — how you took a self-published series and were able to sell it to Scholastic. That’s an amazing achievement. I’d love to hear what you did to make that happen.
Michele: Well, it’s interesting. When I first came up with the idea for this series, I thought in my mind, “I would love for Scholastic to buy it. I would love to work with Scholastic.” Scholastic was always the publisher I loved as a child. I grew up checking off all the boxes in their book club catalogs, and my mom would let me get every single book. Scholastic brings me so much joy when I think about my childhood. They brought me so much happiness, and I knew they would be the ones who could really make my series available to all the kids interested in learning.
However, I knew I needed to prove my concept first. So, I self-published my first three books. It wasn’t an easy feat because we didn’t have the systems we have today like print-on-demand or even easy Google searches on how to self-publish a book. I really struggled through it. I asked a lot of questions, talked with friends, and wasn’t afraid to admit that I didn’t know what I was doing. It was a big learning process for me.
I had these three books, and I started within my own community. I did book readings at my kids’ schools, then branched out to other schools, reached out to museums, and went to bookstores. I literally walked in with books in my bag and said, “Hi, I’m Michele Wong McSween. I wrote this series to teach kids and introduce them to the Mandarin language. Would you be interested in carrying them?” I did that over and over again — from New York to L.A., San Francisco, and Sacramento. I stuck to those cities because I’m from California and it was easy for me to get around.
Slowly, it started to gain traction. Back then, it was easier to get onto Amazon, so I uploaded my books and started selling them there. After about ten years, I had sold around 17,000 or 18,000 books on my own. I had no help — it was just me, and I had three little kids at the time. I moved very slowly, but eventually, I felt like I might be ready to show Scholastic what I had done and maybe they’d be interested.
I had a friend who was friends with someone in one of Scholastic’s school donation departments. She said, “Michele, I’m going to introduce you to her. Maybe she can introduce you to an editor.” I thought, okay, let’s see what happens.
I got an interview and brought in my books. I had also developed an app during that time where kids could hear the words spoken in English and Mandarin and trace the characters in the correct stroke order with their fingertips. The app also had Gordon and Li Li in animated form, which was a very fun concept.
I brought all of that to Scholastic, and a few days later, they offered to acquire my books. It was a long journey, but it was so worth it in the end. They opened doors for me, they supported me, and I still pinch myself because I can’t believe that something I dreamed about 16 or 17 years ago actually came true.
Being persistent, not giving up, and truly believing this could be something helpful for families like mine made all the difference. I had a very can-do, positive, “I’m not giving up” attitude — and in the end, it paid off.
Yitzi: That’s amazing. This is our signature question. You’ve been blessed with a lot of success now. Looking back, when you first started writing, can you share five things you’ve learned that you wish you knew when you first started?
Michele: Oh, yes.
- Okay, the first thing is, you have to be persistent and persevere. The ideas will come — ideas are almost the easy part — but it’s having the motivation and persistence to keep going because it’s hard. It’s really hard. Talk to any entrepreneur and they’ll tell you: there are so many days when you just want to give up and throw in the towel. But you have to stay persistent and never give up.
- The second thing I would say is, be curious and keep learning. Even with everything I’ve done and how far I’ve come, there’s still so much more I can learn and do. My grandfather always taught us that once you learn something, no one can ever take it away from you. That stuck with me. Once you have that knowledge, it’s yours forever. So I always want to keep learning because it can improve every next stage of my life.
- The third thing is: don’t be afraid to ask questions. I tell my kids this all the time. There’s always going to be someone else who wants to ask the same question you’re thinking about. Don’t be afraid — you’re helping not just yourself, but others too. I’ve been in that position where I didn’t want to ask because I was afraid people would think, “Michele doesn’t know that?” But it’s okay not to know. Being open and honest about it makes you more relatable and approachable, and people are often even more willing to help you.
- The fourth thing is: be kind. My parents drilled this into us, and my great-grandfather founded our church, so we were raised on “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” My mom always said, treat everyone with kindness — whether it’s the janitor at your school, the bus driver, or the president of some organization. Treat them all the same. It will always come back to you. If everyone led with kindness, I think the world would be a better place.
- And the last thing I wish I knew is the importance of self-care. As I’ve gotten older, I realize how essential it is to take care of myself first — like putting your oxygen mask on before helping others. When my kids were little, there were so many times I had nothing left for myself at the end of the day. But now I know I can’t do my best for others if I’m not taking care of myself first. I prioritize myself now: exercising, meditating, and getting centered before tackling the long list of things I have to do. Self-care is definitely at the top of the list.
Those are my top five things.
Yitzi: This is our final aspirational question. Because of the platform you’ve built and your great work, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could put out an idea, spread an idea, or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
Michele: I think it just goes along with being kind and thinking of the small things you can do to make a difference. We all think, “Oh, I don’t need to recycle, it won’t make a difference.” But every little thing, no matter how small, builds. Any small movement, and you hear about these movements like paying it forward, can grow. I think just having the awareness that we are all in this together. We’re all more alike than we think. And we should treat each other with kindness.
Yitzi: Beautiful. So Michele, how can our readers purchase your book? How can they find out more? How can our readers support you in any possible way?
Michele: Oh, thank you. They can follow me at Gordon & Li Li — gordonandlili — on Instagram and Facebook. They can shop from my website, which is GordonandLiLi.com. My books are also available on Amazon.com, and I’m in a lot of independent bookstores. So support local.
one more thing. If they do follow me on Instagram, I post all of my upcoming events. For AAPI month, I have something like eight events coming up. They can come out and see me, support the businesses I’m working with. I do a lot of work with the Asian community, and there are a lot of great, exciting events happening.
Yitzi: Well, this has really been a delight and an honor to meet you. I wish you continued success and blessings.
Michele: Thank you so much, Yitzi. It was so nice to meet you.
Author Michele Wong McSween on Turning Heritage Into a Bilingual Book Empire and Why Kids’ Stories… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.