Featured Titles for Kids: Kai Po Che & Lenny and the Color Trouble
Kai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Kite by Dr. Suhasini Gupta
Published by Gnome Road Publishing
World rights available
Age Range: 4 -6
Mini discovers that flying her own perfect diamond during Makar Sankranti requires equal parts creativity, compassion, and courage in order to truly soar.
It's Makar Sankranti, the Indian festival of kites, and Mini wants to join in the fun. But her older brother insists that flying kites is not for little girls. Using her craft-making skills, Mini constructs her own not-so-perfect kite and learns to fly it with her brother's help. But during Sankranti, it's fair game to cut another kite's string and keep it as your own! When a red kite comes along and causes a KITE-ASTROPHE, Mini decides it's time to challenge the red kite to a battle in the sky. In the end, she discovers that her not-so-perfect kite is really her very own perfect diamond.
Suhasini Gupta and Devika Oza create an exciting story filled with culture, determination, and the love between siblings. Filled with stunning, richly-colored illustrations and including an author's note and back matter about Sankranti and the math and science of kite flying, this book will make a delightful addition to library story times, read-alouds at home and in classrooms, and is sure to have kids shouting “Kai Po Che” and making kites of their own.
Reviews
"A familial narrative centered on Sankranti, the Indian festival of kites, transforms sibling rivalry into a tale of innovation. Mini, admiring her brother’s airborne kite, “longed to fly one of her own.” But Bhai’s smirking response—“Kites aren’t for little girls! Go play with your crafts”—drives her to make one herself. Paper, sticks, and strings “soon took the shapes of Mini’s hopes and dreams.” Yet after repeated attempts, she still can’t get it to fly, until Bhai’s instructions finally help the object gain altitude and navigate the kite fights that are part of the day. Though a beat hinges on information provided only in back matter, affectionally punny language from Gupta (“Kite-astrophe!”) and a jewel-toned palette from Oza make for a story of fortitude bolstered by lively visuals—the kites read like breezy confetti scattered against the sky. Characters cue as South Asian. Back matter includes an author’s note."—Publishers Weekly
Suhasini Gupta is a children's book author, an engineer, a devoted mom of two energetic kids, and a dreamer. She was born and raised in India and currently lives in Texas with her husband and kids. Suhasini enjoys writing fun and imaginative stories that celebrate her rich Indian heritage, inspire interest in STEM, and bring joy and wonder to young readers. When she's not crafting new adventures, she can be found tending to her garden, experimenting with new recipes, enjoying movies, playing piano, and cherishing moments with her loved ones.
Suhasini is an active member of SCBWI, MightyKidLit, and Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Picture Book Challenge. In 2023, she won the #SpringFlingKidLit and #SunWriteFun awards and received Honorable Mentions in Vivian Kirkfield's 50PreciousWords and PBParty contests.
Lenny and the Color Trouble by Zahra Akhlaghi
Published by Magink Publishing House
World Rights Available
Age Range: 4 - 6 years
Have you ever been in a situation where people thought they knew what was going on with you, but they were totally wrong?
This story is all about the funny misunderstandings that happen when people jump to conclusions! It shows how easy it is for everyone to get things totally wrong when something weird happens, especially if they don't have all the details. The colorful stains on Lenny's face and hands become a big mystery, and the townspeople all think they know what's going on, but they couldn't be more off! It's a playful reminder that sometimes we assume the worst without asking the right questions. The story is full of laughs as Lenny tries to get everyone to understand what's really going on. In the end, it's a fun picture book about making sure your voice is heard, even when everyone else has their own ideas.
Color me troubled! Tag along with Lenny as he tries to have his voice heard in the cacophony of answers to a problem that does not exist!
Mother's Day Special
Make it stand out
The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone (Koehler Books)
By Randy Susan Meyers
"Beautifully written and full of warmth, wit, and wisdom. I'm a devoted fan!"—Liane Moriarty, New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers
Seven Children. Five Mothers. One idyllic commune. What could go wrong?Annabel Cooper wants to save the world.The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone delves into the intricate and nuanced dance of familial love and communal ties through the lens of sociopolitical upheaval from the 1960s to the present day, examining which sacrifices are worth the price.
