[3] After graduating from Vassar College with honors in 1923,[4] she joined the editorial staff of Women's Wear Daily.

In 1931, Averill founded the Domino Press, which specialized in "children's picture books illustrated by gifted young artists and reproduced by means of the excellent color processes that were available".

[citation needed][clarification needed] Domino's first publication was a book entitled Daniel Boone : les adventures d'un chasseur americain parmi les peaux-rogues, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky (who later won a U.S. Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration).

Averill returned to the United States in 1941,[6] continuing with Domino press until it ceased operations and then working in the children's department at the New York Public Library.

[7] Starting in 2003,[8] a series of reissues by the New York Review Children's Collection brought all the Cat Club titles except for Jenny's Bedside Book back into print.