Lantana Publishing

The rain clouds are long gone and the dry season scorches the land. Everything is new for the baby giraffe. As she bounds ahead and lags behind, her mother patiently explains the ways of the grasslands. And until she grows a little taller, older and wiser, her mother reminds her: “You’re strong with me.”

When one boy sets out to build the treehouse of his dreams, there’s so much to consider – from finding the perfect tree to drawing up the plans. There are certainly challenges along the way, and a lot of spilt paint! But one thing is for sure – he won’t go far wrong with his two mummies to support him.

Day after day, Nemy is forced to sow seeds in the sugarcane plantation, until one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other’s hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret – a message that signals their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave guide Nemy to a new home where she can be free?A picture book of love, liberation and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.

In a quiet suburb of Paris, Matou passes a mosque on her way home from school and can’t resist trying on some of the shoes she finds outside. Curious about the shoes’ wearers, she begins to imagine the lives they might lead. Why do the trainers of the neatly-dressed boy look like they have never been worn? Why are the ballet shoes of the girl from her school so worn out? With no-one to give her any answers, she starts to imagine the answers for herself. One day, when her mum has to work late, Matou feels frustrated and let down. Can stepping into her mum’s shoes help her build a bridge of understanding between them?A delightful story about empathy in which a little girl takes the expression “to step into someone’s shoes” literally.

One day, in a village in Southern China, a young girl leaves her mama''s house to buy ingredients for wonton soup. On the way to market, she meets a wonderful array of characters going about their daily lives. There’s Ms Chen pulling radishes from the fields, Mr Li and his daughters hauling shrimp from the lake, and grandma hanging out strings of persimmons to dry in the sun.As the girl greets each of them with “Zao an,” and thanks them with “Xie xie,” they gift her with something special for her mama''s cooking pot. By the time the little girl reaches home, she has more food than her and her mama can possibly eat. What should the two of them do now?A charming story of cooking, sharing and peaceful rural life that soothes the soul in today’s fast-paced, high-tech world.

If you were to name the person you loved the most, who would you choose?Noor’s cousin is getting married tomorrow, and tonight, her family is throwing her a henna party. They will sing traditional songs, eat delicious treats, and have their hands painted in swirling designs using a dye called henna.Noor is especially excited to play the henna name game. The henna artist will hide the name of the person Noor loves the most in the pattern she paints on Noor’s hands. But whose name will Noor choose?As Noor encounters each member of her family, she finds it harder and harder to make her choice. What should she do if she loves them all? A heart-warming story that traces the patterns of family love through the age-old South Asian tradition of painting with henna.

SuperJoe – superhero in the making – is far too busy to say sorry. He tears around the house sending invading space aliens back into orbit, rescuing passengers from sinking ships, and bravely facing prehistoric perils, while leaving a trail of broken toys, spilled bath water and displaced goldfish in his wake. But one sound keeps interfering with his supersonic hearing . . . and that’s the sound of his little sister crying. Can SuperJoe swallow his pride and say the one little word that will make everything better?The laugh-out-loud follow up to SuperJoe Does NOT Do Cuddles, this second outing by our loveable superhero is sure to help even the most stubborn pre-schooler learn the value of saying sorry.

The Intasimi Warriors are about to embark on their third and most challenging adventure to date – saving their beloved mentor from dying at the hands of the Life Drinkers. And when Soni discovers that her mum has a twin sister with a dark secret, she might just have found the key to discovering the Life Drinkers’ identity.As she delves deeper into Nairobi’s dark underbelly, Soni must learn to see the world for what it is – with all its beauty and ugliness. What price will she have to pay to stop the Life Drinkers from draining Mr Lemayian’s life, and will saving his life come at the expense of her own?A heart-stopping, thrill-a-minute journey into the heart of an alternative Kenya where monsters roam the streets and one brave 12-year-old, with the help of her closest friends, will learn a lesson in self-sacrifice that she will never forget.

For one little girl, the prospect of a playdate at her friend Henry’s house fills her with excitement. To get to Henry’s house, they have to take a bus, then the underground, then change to another line, then a bus, and then walk for a bit, but it’s worth it because Henry’s house has millions of rooms to hide in and hundreds of toys to play with.But while the text tells one story, the illustrations slowly reveal another. As the kids tear around the house enjoying each other’s company, their mums experience the playdate very differently. Soon we find that the little girl and her friend Henry live lives that are poles apart.A powerful story about friendship across economic divides that encourages readers to question why we live in a society where those who have and those who have not live very different lives.

It is Mother’s Day tomorrow and the shops are sparkling with lights and gifts, with people, laughter and excitement – looking for the perfect gift to bring a smile of joy to mums at home.Among the candles and balloons, the orchids and chocolate hearts, one young girl searches for a card that features a mum who looks like hers. Her mum has gold bangles that jingle-jangle when she washes the curry pots. Her mum wears silk kameez when she buys papaya at the market. Her mum has dark eyes that flash when she dances the bhangra. What will the little girl do if she can’t find a card with a mum who looks like hers?A lively, inclusive picture book about identity and belonging that joyfully celebrates mums and motherhood.