Little Tiger roars for former Penguin editor Eric Huang's East Asian mythology-inspired series

Little Tiger has inked a four-book deal for a young fiction series inspired by East Asian mythology from Eric Huang, the former Penguin UK and Australia editor.

Senior commissioning editor Mattie Whitehead acquired world rights to the quartet of titles in the Guardians of the New Moon series directly from Huang. The books will be illustrated by the Saigon-based duo Quang and Liên. Whitehead will be working with editorial assistant Charlotte Leung on the series. Little Tiger designer Kimberley Chen bought Quang and Liên’s illustration rights from Doreen Thorogood at the Good Illustration Agency. Little Tiger will publish books one and two in January 2025.

The first title kicks off with the Jade Emperor being bored. Having just created the world, he wants something to pass the time. So, he comes up with a brilliant idea: a Great Race where all creatures on Earth invited to compete, from the tiny Rat to the huge Water Dragon. 

Temple cat Miaow finds himself reluctantly joining the race, where he meets spirited and fiery nine-tailed fox Ming, who wants to be best friends with the cat. Miaow gradually warms to Ming, but as the cat "begins to make other friends, Ming’s bubbling insecurity and impulsivity spill over, causing a series of accidents that disrupts the race and endangers the racers. Will the pair, and their friendship, make it to the finish line?"

Huang’s publishing career was largely in IP development and licensing, and included senior roles at Disney and Penguin Random House Children’s.He is currently a podcaster, writer, and lecturer at City University of London’s Masters in Publishing programme.

Huang said: "When my sister and I were growing up in California, our dad told us bedtime stories based on East Asian legends his mother told him when he was a boy in China. He often made us the protagonists of these magical sagas, the ones saving the day after inadvertently wreaking havoc that shook heaven and earth. The Guardians of the New Moon series is inspired by these stories. They’re original adventures that mix the 12 animals of the Lunar Zodiac with magical creatures and unpredictable gods amid the accidental chaos created by a young cat and nine-tailed fox.”

Whitehead and Leung said: "With Eric’s gorgeous writing and characters that bounce off the page, and beautifully illustrated by Quang and Liên, the series is a perfect celebration of East Asian mythology for younger readers. We can’t wait to join Ming and Miaow and see how the winners of the race cope with their new-found fame."