Down East Books

Down East Books was the book publishing division of Down East magazine. It published its first book, Leroy the Lobster and Crabby Crab, in 1967, and this beloved children’s book is still in print. Even today, this book, along with the nearly 1,000 other books published since, is a testament to the enduring appeal of Maine. The Maine mystique is difficult to express in writing, but you know it when you arrive here and feel it. Perhaps Down East founder Duane Doolittle said it best: “We don’t pretend that we can define this evocative term, Down East. . . . All that we can honestly say is that we are tuned to this particular parcel of land, and that we like its music.”