Young Carers Illustration Project announces launch of second picture book by Ana Graça

The Young Carers Illustration Project is delighted to confirm the launch of a second picture book about young carers by artist and author Ana Graça.

Ana’s new title, Young Carers in Space, will be unveiled at a special event on:

Saturday 18 October 2025, 11:00am–2:00pm

The Golden Hinde, St. Mary Overie’s Dock, Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE

The launch will be attended by young carers from several local groups who met with Ana and provided her with ideas for pictures and storylines with transport kindly provided by partners Kingstonian FC. The launch will include children’s entertainers (think loading a cannon and hauling up the anchor on the ship), lunch and refreshments, a free copy of the new book for every attendee, and a meet-the-author opportunity with Ana. We also hope to welcome award-winning children’s novelist Rab Ferguson (The Late Crew).

Building on the success of Young Carers in Bunnyland—already shared with 188 local young carers services across the UK—the new book continues our mission to raise awareness of the UK’s youngest carers. The story was shaped through creative workshops with young carers (including Kingston participants), and a short film documents the process, featuring Ana using Kamishibai (traditional Japanese storytelling) to spark discussion. In the film, 18-year-old Kingston young carer Helen Abdullah explains how being identified at five transformed her life—and why too many children still go unseen.

Why is this so important?

There are millions of young children around the world who provide care for family members, yet their lives are almost completely absent from children’s literature. We are setting out to change that—beginning with the inspiring work of Ana Graça, a filmmaker, artist, and illustrator of children’s books.

We hope Ana’s example will encourage other artists to step into this space, recognising the huge gap in the market and the urgent need for stories that reflect the lived experiences of young carers.

We also know that the visual arts can play a vital role in helping health, social care, and community practitioners communicate with children who are carers. The Young Carers Illustration Project is committed to promoting this approach and demonstrating its effectiveness.

Young Carers in Space is an invitation to ensure every young carer is seen, heard, and supported as early as possible.

Free downloads: Copies of the original book Young Carers in Bunnyland and our informational resources are available free of charge via our website and on Apple Books.

Press contact:

John Bangs — jbangsuk@icloud.com