Six-year-old Clara lives in Melbourne with her Papa, who grew up in Singapore, and her Mama, whose family comes from Malaysia. One evening, a mooncake reminds Papa of home.

Over mooncake and tea, family stories, and a video call with Ah Ma, Clara begins to see how family can feel close even when it is far away. It is a gentle story about food, memory, and the small traditions that travel with us wherever we live.

Why we made this book

This book has been a long-held dream for us, and making it has been a labour of love.

Our Little Lantern Bakery series draws on our authors’ own childhood stories and memories, reimagined as fiction. We wanted to give those memories another place to live, in stories that families could read together. Little Lantern Bakery is the bakery in the story. We are Amour Desserts, the team behind the books.

For children growing up in Australia with roots in Malaysia and Singapore, we hope there is something familiar in these pages: the food on the table, the names we call our grandparents, and the traditions we hope they will carry and make their own. We hope it helps them feel at home here in Australia too. And for any child with someone they love far away, we hope the story feels like a small connection to them.

Who it’s for

Written for ages 4 to 7, it is made for reading together. Share it at bedtime, read it during Mid-Autumn, or open it any time home feels a little far away.

It also makes a thoughtful gift from parents, grandparents and anyone who wants to pass a little culture along to the next generation.