George Hanratty, Author at Little Tiger

Posted on September 18, 2023 by George Hanratty — Leave a comment

Nibbles Competition

Calling all Nibbles fans…

Little Tiger and Emma Yarlett are delighted to announce an exciting new competition offering entrants the opportunity to get their own picture of Nibbles included in the next Nibbles Picture Book publishing in 2024.

The competition opens today (18^th September 2023) and entrants must submit a hand drawn picture of Nibbles which will form part of an interior library scene in Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster. The competition is open to full time residents of the UK are Ireland, aged between 4 and 8 years old on 31^st October 2023. More details and full terms and conditions of entry can be found below:

Terms and Conditions

The Nibbles Art Competition (the “Competition”) is organised by Little Tiger Press Limited in the UK and Kane Miller, a Division of Educational Development Corporation in the US.
Entry implies acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Little Tiger Press Limited reserves the right to disqualify any entrant if it has reasonable grounds to believe the entrant has breached any of these Terms and Conditions.
Little Tiger Press Limited reserves the right to cancel or amend the Competition or the Rules without notice in the event of any circumstance that should arise outside Little Tiger Press Limited’s reasonable control.

Competition eligibility

The competition is open to full time residents of the UK and Ireland, aged between four and eight years old on 31^st October 2023. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.
The prize is not open to employees of the Little Tiger Press Limited and their immediate family.
Entry implies agreement that the winner and parent/guardian may be required to take part in media interviews in late summer 2024 when the winner is publicly announced.

Entry process

The competition opens at 12.01 am on Friday 8^th September 2023. The deadline for entries is 11:59pm on Tuesday 31^st October 2023. Entries received after this deadline will not be considered.
Entrants must submit a hand drawn picture of Nibbles (A4 portrait). This picture will form a small part of an interior library scene in the upcoming new book Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster by Emma Yarlett.
Entrants must email a picture of their entry to nibblescompetition@littletiger.co.uk. All entrants must provide the child’s name, age, the parent or guardian’s name, address, email address and phone number plus the name of the school which the child attends.
Entries submitted in any other way will not be considered.
The competition will be judged by Emma Yarlett and representatives of Little Tiger Press Limited from all eligible entries received by the entry deadline.
If shortlisted, we will ask that the finished artwork is sent to the Little Tiger offices by recorded mail. Artwork will be returned to entrants in early 2024.

Conditions of entry

All entries must be the entrant’s own original work. Little Tiger Press Limited will not be responsible for any infringements of copyright committed by entrants. Entrants must agree to indemnify Little Tiger Press Limited against any claim by any third party from any breach of these Terms and Conditions.
Entries must not contain offensive, obscene, defamatory, or other unsuitable material.
Only one entry per person may be submitted.
There is no purchase requirement to enter this competition.
Acknowledgment of receipt of entry will be sent via email.
The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
By submitting a picture, the entrant hereby agrees that Little Tiger Press Limited may display any and all entries on their website and social media platforms for a period of 12 months from the closing date of this competition.
By submitting a picture and participating in the competition, the entrant hereby agrees to sign a release form and to assign copyright in the submission to Little Tiger Press Limited, and grant Little Tiger Press Limited non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual, and transferable license and permission to use, store, copy, modify, publish, distribute, copyright, broadcast, display, combine with other materials, edit, alter, and/or reproduce the entry in any form of media anywhere in the world. You also agree to participate in marketing, media, editorial, commercial, advertising, promotional and/or publicity activity related to the competition.
Little Tiger Press Limited grants the winner permission to share their entry on social media channels once the winner has been announced.

Entry Errors

Little Tiger Press Limited will not be responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, stolen, invalid, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. Little Tiger Press Limited are not responsible if online service or equipment is interrupted including without limitation:
interruptions to any network, server, internet, website, telephone, satellite, computer or other connections
failures of any telephone, satellite, hardware, software or other equipment
other errors of any kind, whether human, technical, mechanical or electronic
the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information or the failure to capture any such information, or
printing or typographical errors.

Selection of Winner

Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, artistic skill and presentation.
Shortlisted entrants will be notified by phone and email on 8^th November 2023.
Shortlisted entrants must respond by 10^th November 2023 and agree to send in the finished artwork by 13^th November 2023. Any entrant unable to do this will be disqualified.
The winner will be notified in the week commencing 27^th November 2023.
The winner will be publicly announced in August 2024 ahead of the publication of Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster.
The winner and parent/guardian may be required for media interviews following the public announcement.
The winner agrees not to disclose any details of their win on social media or any other public platforms until the public announcement has been made.

The prize

The winning entrant will have their picture reproduced in Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster by Emma Yarlett (publishing autumn 2024).
The winner will also receive 10 copies of the book Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster, a framed, signed print of the artwork by Emma Yarlett that features their picture (NB not the original artwork), and a Nibbles plush toy (prize approximate retail value: £255.89)..
Two runners-up prizes of a signed copy of Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster and a Nibbles plush toy will be awarded (each prize approximate retail value: £27.98).
Prizes are non–transferable and there is no cash alternative. Little Tiger Press Limited shall not be responsible for any cancellations, delays, postponements, substitutions, changes in services, damage in the delivery of the prize, and/or loss of any prize in connection with delivery of the prize via mail. In the event that there is an insufficient number of eligible entries, Little Tiger reserves the right not to award the prizes.

Privacy

By entering this competition, the entrant agrees to have their name, town/city and photograph published in the media, online and on social media channels managed by Little Tiger Press Limited.
Any personal data relating to entrants will not be disclosed to a third party without the individual’s consent.Data relating to entrants will be retained by Little Tiger Press Limited until 31^st October 2024.

Posted on October 12, 2022May 4, 2023 by George Hanratty — Leave a comment

Acquisition Announcement: Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka

LITTLE TIGER SIGNS YOUNG FICTION SERIES INSPIRED BY BEASTS OF AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY

Senior Editor Mattie Whitehead has acquired The Nkara Chronicles, an action-packed new fantasy series by debut author Davina Tijani. The deal for World all language rights in four books was struck with Davinia Andrew-Lynch at Andlyn. Andrew-Lynch also represents Adam Douglas-Bagley, who has signed on to illustrate the series. Whitehead will edit alongside Little Tiger Editorial Assistant Karelle Tobias.

A fun, fresh and fast-paced series based on African mythology for readers aged 6 to 9, The Nkara Chronicles, which begins with Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka, is an adventure full of heart and humour wrapped up in a fun accessible fantasy. It’s Pokémon meets Beast Quest across Africa!

Yomi and her younger brother Kayode are supposed to be on the trip of a lifetime visiting The Gambia with their Uncle Olu. Instead, their uncle’s work has made this the most boring holiday ever! But when Yomi witnesses the Dragon King, Ninki Nanka, being kidnapped from the sky, things get a lot more exciting. Determined to rescue him, Yomi and Kayode uncover secrets and meet many magnificent beasts – but will it be enough to save Ninki Nanka?

Whitehead said: “The strength of Davina’s plotting and her characterisation is brilliant – the series is so fantastically visual and we love the celebration of African mythology. How lucky are readers to meet these wonderful beasts! The humour, adventure and heart throughout had us totally gripped, and we can’t wait for readers to meet Yomi and Kayode, and see their quests come to life through Adam’s incredible illustrations.”

Tijani said: “Mythology has always been a love of mine since I was a kid. African Mythology is wondrous in its richness, its scope and its powerful storytelling, which passes down through the generations who marvel at the fantastical beasts, compelling characters and thrilling stories – this series is a love letter to all of this and so much more. Working with the amazing Little Tiger team to bring these magical and adventurous stories to life has been a dream come true. I hope readers will treasure and love Yomi, Kayode and the rest of the characters as much I do and get lost in the enchanting world of Nkara which has been superbly brought to life and illustrated by Adam.”

Douglas-Bagley said: It has been wonderful to work on Yomi! I couldn’t have asked for a better world to illustrate. From the mythical creatures to the mysterious organisations the books are rich with magical detail. I can’t wait for readers to see what fantastical adventures Yomi and Kayode go on next.

Little Tiger will publish Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka in Summer 2023 with book two following in Autumn 2023 and three and four in 2024.

Davina Tijani writes speculative and fantastical stories for both adults and children. She was born in London and holds degrees from University of East Anglia and University College London. She grew up on Star Wars and other science fiction, fantasy and horror films and stories. She is a huge lover of mythology and enjoys incorporating it into her writing. She is represented by Davinia Andrew-Lynch at Andlyn Literary agency. | @davinatijani

Adam Douglas-Bagley is an illustrator and storyteller from South London. Ever since he first picked up a pencil Adam has had a passion for illustrating fantastical worlds and filling them with stories. With his illustrations, Adam endeavours to explore the transportive and timeless ability of storytelling to enthral audiences. He hopes to inspire anyone with a story to tell, to pick up a pencil and share their own worlds for others to traverse. He is represented by Davinia Andrew-Lynch at Andlyn Literary agency. | @adougiebagofdrawings

Posted on January 13, 2021January 13, 2021 by George Hanratty — Leave a comment

K.L. Kettle introduces The Boy I Am

When power corrupts…tear it down…The Boy I Am is the powerful debut novel from K.L. Kettle out now

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited for you to hold The Boy I Am in your hands.

I came to this story wondering what kind of feminist I wanted to be. Writing this book helped me process my own experiences from years working in a male dominated industry. There have been so many great times, but they’re pierced by moments when some men I worked for reduced me to something to flirt with, dismiss, or sideline when unwanted advances were met with polite declines.

Each moment sticks with me. I over analyze whether I dealt with them the right way, then wonder if there is a right way, then doubt my memory, then beat myself up for taking the burden of anxiety on myself, and so on… Sound familiar? You don’t need to be a woman to know these feelings, far from it, they come wherever there is disparity in power. And there’s a lot of that today.

The proverb ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ kept circling my mind as I found Jude’s story. If we are all equal, are we all equally capable of abusing the power we have? If so, how do we choose to be better?

See, I told you I over analyze.

From where it began, soon my research took me to some places full of sadness:

To forums teaching men how to manipulate women, where young men believe their worth is only in relation to their ability to be with a woman, or where they are radicalized and pressed into dark causes to compensate.

To charities raising awareness of the hidden problem of child marriage for both girls and boys in a world where thirty seven countries have no real minimum age of marriage, including the USA, and where the rules can be exploited, not only for straight and cis people, but often to force young LGBTQI people into marriage.

I saw the worst extremes of both gender rights movements and questioned my own identity and beliefs.

But…
And it’s a really important but…
I came out the other side with hope because of people I met along the way, working together despite their differences: activists for gender diversity and equality, for disability and anti- racism. I also came out with the comfort that things are, slowly, getting better. But it will take all of us working together to stop them from getting worse.

The realization I came to is that I am an unfinished feminist. And that’s how I want to be, always learning about the power I have, the systems I am a part of, and how I can work with those around me to strive for a better, more compassionate world.

I hope your journey of discovery is as powerful as mine.

Posted on December 1, 2020January 5, 2021 by George Hanratty — Leave a comment

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

Ellie Hattie – Author

When my publisher asked me to write a book about what I love about Christmas my first thought was “Where do I begin!!?”

And really, it was as straightforward as that! I started to list every single thing about the festive season that makes me smile, the tinsel, the baubles, the food, the songs, the gifts and presents. The friends! The family! And that’s when it struck me. The thing that I LOVE most about Christmas is the LOVE that it’s wrapped in.

I remembered being small and the building excitement as all the Christmas decorations and smells started to accumulate in the house. But the loveliest piece of the puzzle, the cherry on the cake, the star on top of the tree, was being wrapped in hugs, full of love, by my parents on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning!

I knew that the fabulous Tim Warnes was going to illustrate the story and I couldn’t wait to see the characters come to life. There’s nothing more exhilarating than watching an artist work their magic, and the Bear family did not disappoint! Little Bear is so exuberant – the character’s joy radiates from the page with every furry smile and outstretched paw! And the final spread – the final hug – makes my heart sing every time I look at it. It perfectly captures that moment from my childhood that I remember so vividly. Of many merry Christmases, sandwiched between my parents, wrapped in love.

Tim Warnes – Illustrator

Here’s the thing about bears. Everyone loves them – and so they are in big demand from publishers (which is why there are so many bear books out there!).

So, yes – I’ve created many bear characters over the last 25 plus years. Which always leaves me wondering: How can I make these bears look a little different?!

I had recently read an article by the mother of an overweight child asking, Where are the positive, fat characters in picture books? So I decided to make the little bear pretty chubby. And Daddy Bear? He received the big, heavy-eyebrows treatment!

One idea that pleases me was beginning the story with little bear ice skating. I was racking my brain trying to think of an angle I’d not used before – and this was it! It’s a good demonstration of the illustrator’s role – to not only illustrate the text but also bring another layer to a story. This particular scene conveys a sense of movement and joy — an appropriate way to introduce the bubbly Little Bear!

The penultimate illustration, though, is my favourite! I always looked forward to bedtime stories when I was a kid. And when I became a dad, it was still the time of day I looked forward to the most. Storytime, for me, is a snuggly, intimate time to pause and spend some precious quiet quality time together.

I hope I Love You More Than Christmas! will bring your family such treasured moments, too.

Posted on November 16, 2020November 15, 2022 by George Hanratty — Leave a comment

Little Tiger Group Permissions Policy for Online Book Readings

Guidelines and permission policy for those wishing to share our stories online. We are keen to balance the needs of our reading community with protecting our authors’ and illustrators’ IP.

For our part, we will be populating our own YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with videos of lots of our creators sharing their own stories, so please make sure you are keeping an eye on our channels for these, plus links to things our authors and illustrators are up to on their own channels.

To enable schools to continue with class shared-reading and story-times, Little Tiger is permitting educators to:

share read-aloud videos, and display the book on closed educational platforms such as Google classroom or Dojo
share read-aloud videos, and display the book via a YouTube channel, provided the link to that YouTube video is posted inside a closed educational platform or supplied directly to students i.e. via email, and the YouTube video is designated as “Unlisted” (not “Public”) when uploading

These videos may be hosted on the educational platform and/or YouTube (as “Unlisted”) for three months, after which we request that they be removed from the educational platform and/or from YouTube.

To enable Booksellers, Librarians, Bloggers, Vloggers, Bookstagrammers who wish to provide a story time reading or other read-aloud experience for their users Little Tiger is permitting these individuals to:

share read-aloud videos, and display the book live, in real time, on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, and Instagram.

So that our authors and illustrators benefit from the free use of their IP, we would request that:

author/illustrator and Little Tiger are tagged where the video is shared – this also helps us share your content with our followers
author/illustrator and book title are mentioned in the video
buy links for the book are included in posts where possible

We would prefer that these videos are not maintained in the archive of the social media platform. These platforms automatically archive live events by default, when your event has concluded, please locate the recorded live video in your account (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and delete it ASAP.

Please notify us of any readings via email: publicity@littletiger.co.uk with the following information:

Name and address of physical institution (school, library, bookshop) or web/profile link (blog, vlog, Instagram)
Title, author, illustrator of book being read
Detail of how the reading is being shared, please include links where appropriate

We are granting this open permission for free use of the readings. If you wish to in any way monetise recordings of Little Tiger books you will need to seek specific permission for that purpose, please email publicity@littletiger.co.uk in the first instance.

Thank you for providing entertainment, education and escapism for children and families at this difficult time and for choosing to share a Little Tiger book in doing so.

George Hanratty