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This month, our indies booklist for the National Year of Reading is showcasing 6 children’s books from indie publishers that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. What would you do if you were Prime Minister? Why does my grandma wear mismatched socks? Who’s hogging the loo and is there an alien in the school library? Find out the answers (or more mysteries?) in these imaginative and funny stories. 

Sensitivity reading has become an important part of conversations around inclusive publishing. At its simplest, it involves drawing on lived experience and cultural knowledge to help ensure that stories engaging with particular identities or histories are portrayed with depth and accuracy.

In this interview, Oboh shares the creative process behind creating Freedom Braids, gives us a tour of his workspace, and reflects on his growth as an illustrator. Finally, Oboh leaves with us a poignant final message about what history and representation mean to Black creatives and Black children.

For this second booklist of our indies project for the National Year of Reading, we are delighted to collaborate again with our fellow indie publishers to share empowering stories about women and girls. How do girls learn, connect, create, grieve, and fight? What does it mean to be a woman in this world building relationships, homes, and dreams? We hope the stories here provide some answers to these questions. 

In this interview, Clara Dackenberg, illustrator of the Carnegies-shortlisted The Playdate, gives us a glimpse into her creative process behind the scenes—creating characters, a favourite moment, her workspace essentials, and a message to young readers. 

Princess and knight, red roses in dragon blood, books and Cervantes and Barcelona—the history of World Book Day is a riveting story of the encounter between a medieval legend and modern marketing in the heart of Catalonia. 

We are beyond excited to announce that we are partnering with Simon & Schuster Australia for the sales and distribution of our children’s books in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a personal milestone for us—as you will see, ANZ is, in many ways, where the seeds of Lantana were sowed. For the curious souls, we’ve also included here a sneak peak to our 2026 ANZ booklist.

This February, Lantana and fellow independent publishers celebrate the many colours of love with a collaborative Indies booklist for the National Year of Reading. From throwing a henna party with family to reading to shelter puppies with friends, this joyful selection of children’s books shows how love blossoms in many beautiful ways.

Indie children’s publishers unite for the National Year of Reading 2026, launching monthly inclusive reading lists that celebrate diverse stories and communities.

Meet Shiko Nguru, author of the Intasimi Warriors series. Shiko shares with us her thoughts on the joy of reading, children’s fiction, and writing the Intasimi Warriors series.

Meet the Lantana Publishing team as they share the childhood books that shaped them, the trends they’re loving, what inspires their work, and the drinks that fuel their day.

We receive hundreds of submissions each month, and while we are always excited to discover new voices, many submissions are unsuitable due to common mistakes. To increase your chances of getting noticed, please make sure you avoid the following: 1. Not Following Our Submission Guidelines One of the most common reasons submissions don’t make it past the first review is that the sender didn’t read our submission guidelines on our website. Please take the time to review them car

Christmas Around the World: Traditions, Flavours, and Celebrations from Different Cultures Christmas is a time of celebration, love, and togetherness, but how this holiday is celebrated varies widely across the globe. From the vibrant streets of the Philippines to the snowy landscapes of Sweden, the ways people mark the season are as diverse as the number of countries in the world. Philippines: A Season of Light and Reunion (Katrina Gutierrez, Communications Manager and Edito