Hello! 你好! Nǐ Hǎo! Nee How!

about us

Meet Gordon

 

 Gordon is a five year old panda who lives in Brooklyn, New York with his parents and two younger brothers. He is an avid KISS fan and loves playing air guitar to his favorite song, ‘Rock And Roll All Nite’. When he’s not rocking out, you can find him drawing and reading about his favorite animals: orcas and sharks. His favorite color is aquamarine blue because it reminds him of the ocean — his happy place.

When Gordon grows up, he wants to become a marine biologist, a rock star, or a pizza maker because like any true New Yorker, he’s always searching for the best slice!

 

 

Meet Li Li 

 

Li Li is also five and she’s from Beijing, China. She’s read all about New York and is so excited to see it with her own eyes. Whether by train or by scooter, Li Li loves to explore the diverse neighborhoods, learn about their history and culture, and of course sample the multi-cultural foods New York has to offer. When Li Li’s not exploring Brooklyn, you’ll find her reading or hosting tea parties where she serves foods from around the world to her extensive collection of stuffed animals.

Li Li’s dream job would take her to all the places she’s read about so she can become a global citizen of the world, learn multiple languages, and eat and eat and eat.

 

 

Meet Michele

Michele Wong McSween is a former fashion designer and creator of Gordon & Li Li. She is a native Californian, but has lived in New York City for the past 23 years. She currently lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her husband and three boys.

Growing up as a fourth generation Chinese-American, Michele never learned to speak Chinese, so making sure her own boys were exposed to the language and culture became a priority for her.

After enrolling them in early-learning Mandarin classes, Michele looked for first word Mandarin books that were easy to read, engaging, modern, and most importantly, were books that they’d want to cuddle up with at bedtime.

When Michele realized what she wanted didn't exist, she created Gordon & Li Li to introduce her children to the joy of learning Mandarin Chinese and to foster a deep appreciation for their heritage and culture.