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This month's booklist for our indies project for the National Year of Reading is a love letter to mothers and grandmothers in all their forms — the ones who stay up listening to our worries at ten o'clock at night, who teach us to grow things, who stitch themselves into the very fabric of who we are.

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.

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.