Little Tiger imprint calls for artists from under-represented groups

Caterpillar Books, an imprint of the Little Tiger Group, is looking for illustrators from under-represented backgrounds for a new pre-school series.

The ‘Our Town’ titles will be about first experiences and the common dilemmas faced by pre-school children, including going to the dentist, making friends and starting school. The series was developed by Little Tiger Group’s editor-at-large, Sarah Shaffi, who was recruited at the beginning of this year help the company be more inclusive across its publishing.

Shaffi said: “We want children to be able to see that many of the first experiences they have are common to all children, no matter their race, religion or family situation. In the Our Town series, instead of talking about these experiences in isolation, we have created great stories which children and parents will love reading.

“Our Town is a vibrant and dynamic community, and we want to find an illustrator or illustrators who will bring the characters and their stories to life. With an open submission process we can cast the net as wide as possible and find the best person or people for the books, whether they’re a professional illustrator or have always wanted to become one, but didn’t think the publishing industry was for them. We hope to find some great new talent.”

Little Tiger has described two of the families who will feature in the books, the Rashids and the Romeros, on its website. Illustrators can submit a family portrait and illustrations of family members either having a meal or shopping by 31st August.