Lollipop Power

Lollipop Power, Inc.

Company type	Nonprofit
Industry	Children's book publishing
Founded	January 1, 1969 (1969-01-01)
Fate	Became an imprint of Carolina Wren Press in 1986
Headquarters	Chapel Hill , United States
Products	Children's picture books

Lollipop Power, Inc. was a nonprofit independent American publisher dedicated to producing children's books with a focus on combating gender bias. Headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the organization emerged from feminist activism around 1969 or 1970. Functioning as a collective of approximately ten rotating members, the press aimed to create picture books free from sexist and racist stereotypes, offering alternatives to the dominant gender norms found in conventional children's literature.

The publisher grew steadily until 1975, establishing its own office and achieving peak monthly sales near 1,500 copies. Following this period, sales leveled off amid evolving trends in the publishing industry. In 1986, Lollipop Power halted its independent operations and became an imprint under Carolina Wren Press. It is recognized for releasing some of the earliest children's picture books featuring openly queer characters, contributing significantly to the emergence of LGBTQ literature for young readers.

History

Originating from progressive feminist efforts in late-1960s North Carolina, Lollipop Power was founded by members of Group 22, including Sara Evans and Paula Goldsmid. Located in Chapel Hill, Group 22 was deeply involved in feminist consciousness-raising activities concerning childhood socialization. This engagement led to the creation of Lollipop Power as an independent nonprofit publishing collective around 1969 or 1970. Among the founding figures was Judy Hogan, who later established Carolina Wren Press.

The collective’s mission centered on producing children’s literature that avoided sexist and racist content, providing alternatives to mainstream books that largely reflected white male viewpoints. Without extensive formal publishing experience, the group accepted manuscripts from both internal members and outside writers. Illustrators were chosen through submissions reviewed by the collective, with final approval granted by its board. Initially, neither authors nor illustrators received payment; however, by 1976 most of the approximately ten members earned wages near minimum level.

Their debut publication, Jenny's Secret Place (1970), encountered initial funding challenges but saw strong demand upon release. By the mid-1970s, Lollipop Power handled all production stages internally—including design and printing—with monthly sales averaging around 1,500 copies by 1975. That year marked a milestone as the press secured dedicated office space and acquired ownership of a printing press.

After 1976, the publisher faced stagnation in sales along with diminished output; notably, no titles were released in 1978. The rise of larger competitors such as Macmillan Publishers and McGraw Hill, which began producing less gender-stereotyped children’s books, contributed to this downturn. Additionally, public enthusiasm for non-sexist children’s literature declined as some considered it a temporary trend. Lollipop Power ceased independent operations in 1986, with its backlist absorbed by Carolina Wren Press—who issued at least one more title under the imprint in 1988. The imprint remained active until roughly 2012, although Carolina Wren stopped accepting new children’s book submissions after 2009.

Legacy

Lollipop Power was a trailblazer in children's literature by producing books that prominently featured queer characters, including Jane Severance's When Megan Went Away (1979) and Lots of Mommies (1983). The press also tackled themes of gender nonconformity with titles like Bruce Mack's Jesse's Dream Skirt (1979), recognized as the first picture book about a boy desiring to wear a skirt to school, and Hacken Johnson's The Boy Toy (1988). In 1979, Lollipop Power stood out as one of only seven independent children's book publishers in the United States, and the only one operating in the Southeastern region. Despite its limited reach, the press played a pivotal role in shaping the early market for LGBTQ-themed children's books.

Bibliography

Between 1970 and 1983, Lollipop Power released 20 picture books, with two further publications appearing under the Carolina Wren Press imprint after Lollipop Power ceased operations in 1986. Beginning in 1972, the company compiled an annual Bibliography of Materials on Sexism and Sex-Role Stereotyping in Children's Books, which showcased literature, toys, and educational resources from various publishers that avoided sexist and racist content.

Lollipop Power publications

Year	Title	Author	Illustrator	Notes	Ref.
1970	Jenny's Secret Place	Sara M. Evans Boyte	Carol Jean Harkey	Debut publication.
1971	Did You Ever?	Paula Goldsmid	Janice Schopler
	Martin's Father	Margrit Eichler	Margrit Bev
1972	Exactly Like Me	Lynn Phillips	Lynn Phillips
	Joshua's Day	Sandra Lucas Surowiecki	Patricia Riley Lenthall
	The Sheep Book	Carmen Goodyear	Carmen Goodyear
1973	Carlotta and the Scientist	Patricia Riley Lenthall	Patricia Riley Lenthall
	Grownups Cry Too	Nancy Hazen	Nancy Hazen
	Jo, Flo and Yolanda	Carol De Poix	Stephanie Sove Ney
	The Magic Hat	Kim Westsmith Chapman	Kitty Riley Clark
1975	Just Momma and Me	Christine Engla Eber	Christine Engla Eber
	Amy and the Cloud Basket	Ellen Pratt	Lisa Russell
1976	The Lost Bellybutton	Margaret Morganroth Gullette	Leslie Udry
1977	The Clever Princess	Ann Tompert	Patricia Riley
1979	When Megan Went Away	Jane Severance	Tea Schook
	Jesse's Dream Skirt	Bruce Mack	Marian Buchanan
	María Teresa	Mary Atkinson	Christine Engla Eber
1981	In Christina's Toolbox	Dianne Homan	Mary Heine
	I Like You to Make Jokes with Me, but I Don't Want You to Touch Me	Ellen Bass	Marti Betz
1983	Lots of Mommies	Jane Severance	Jan Jones
1988	The Boy Toy	Phyllis Hacken Johnson	Lena Shiffman	Released as a Carolina Wren Press imprint.
1996	Puzzles	Dava Walker	Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu	Released under Carolina Wren Press imprint.

Sources

• {{cite magazine|last1=Gallagher|first1=Kathi|title=Lollipop Power|magazine=Off Our Backs|pages=15,17|volume=12|issue=6|}
• {{cite journal|last1=Jalongo|first1=Mary Renck|date=1983|title=Using crisis-oriented books with young children|journal=Young Children|}