MTM: Exploring Multiple Themes with Suhasini Gupta

Mentor Text Monday: April 7, 2025

[Note: Click on the Titles to Buy Books.]

After missing the local kite festival following two years of lockdown—a moment I had eagerly anticipated to share with my kids—I felt deeply disappointed and heartbroken, much like losing your kite to someone in a kite battle. This experience inspired Kai Po Che (which means “I’ve cut your kite,” a victory chant during kite flying). While the title came to me instantly, I wasn’t sure how to approach the story at first. I knew I wanted a little girl as the main character, determined to fly her own kite for the first time alongside her older sibling. To shape the story, I began by researching books with a variety of themes to find inspiration.

What’s a theme?The theme is what your story is about—the universal idea. It gives the reader something to reflect on once the story is done. It is linked to the emotional core of the main character.

Why Multiple Themes Matter:

1. Universal Appeal: Multiple themes make the story engaging for a wider audience.

2. Develop Characters: Themes influence characters’ actions and growth, which in turn shapes the plot.

3. Relatability and Re-Readability: Readers connect with different aspects—emotional, cultural, and educational—making them return to the story again and again.

4. Diverse Learning Opportunities: Layered themes add depth to the characters and allow readers to learn from various angles and perspectives.

I could have written this story in many different ways.

·         Informational fiction:  focusing on explaining the holiday of Makar Sankranti, the festival of kites and harvesting.

·         STEAM-themed narrative: centering the story around building a kite and creativity.

·         Bullying narrative: about a neighbor kid troubling the girl, and her brother coming to her rescue.

And the possibilities were endless! However, after reflecting on my own childhood experiences of flying kites, I decided to take a different approach. My primary goal was to create an entertaining story while addressing a theme that deeply resonated with me: the limitations often imposed on small kids, especially girls. I can't even count how many times I heard the phrase growing up, “No, you can’t do this! You're too small!” Well, I’m sure elders don’t have bad intentions; they just want the kid to be safe. But that feeling of being told what a child can't do, simply because of their size/gender/age or any preconceived notions, doesn't define one's capabilities and that determination can break through any boundaries.

“Kai Po Che! I’ve cut the kite!” Mini wants to fly her own kite this Sankranti, the Indian kite festival. But Bhai thinks kites aren’t for little girls. Mini discovers that flying her own perfect kite during Makar Sankranti requires equal parts creativity, compassion, and courage to truly soar and help avert an impending kite-astrophe. A story filled with culture, determination, and sibling bond written by Suhasini Gupta and illustrated by Devika Oza, published by Gnome Road Publishers, March 2025.

Main Theme and Supporting Themes

My central theme for Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite became:

• Determination: Staying consistent and not giving up.

To support this, I incorporated underlying SEL themes:

• Creativity

• Courage

• Compassion/Kindness

• Resilience

Additionally, since the story revolves around kite flying in India, it naturally encompasses other themes:

• Cultural celebration (holiday/kite battle)

• Outdoor sports and crafting

• STEAM topic that made an amazing backmatter

I also wrote the plot with a sibling as a supporting character, adding:

• Sibling theme

The story also includes an implicit moral through the kite metaphor:

• Embrace imperfection

Mentor Texts and Themes:To develop my story, I drew inspiration from these mentor texts with multiple themes:

1. Kite Theme:

• Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Harlan is a charming story about friendship and teamwork between Bear and Mole as they work together to build and fly a kite.

  • Other themes: kindness, sharing, nature, adventure, problem-solving.                     

    
    

    

2. Friendship and kindness theme: 

• Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill is a heartfelt story that explores what it truly means to be kind and how small actions can make a big difference.

  • Other themes: Friendship, empathy, diversity, and bullying.

 3.       Resilience and determination theme:

• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires is an inspiring picture book about creativity, perseverance, and the ups and downs of making something new.

  • Other themes: Growth mindset, STEAM, problem-solving, loyal assistant (pet dog- supporting character).         

    
    

    

4. Girl empowerment and sibling theme:

• The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier and Sonia Sanchez is a clever, modern retelling of The Little Red Hen, with a focus on girl empowerment—to take on creative challenges and build something of their own.

o   Other themes: Sibling, Resilience,  creativity, SEL

5. Embracing imperfection theme:

• ISH by Peter H. Reynolds is a heartwarming picture book about creativity, self-expression, and explorations, not perfections—they can be ish!

o   Other themes: Siblings, SEL, confidence, self-discovery, ART.

PRIZE: 20-min AMA or a fiction PB critique (non-rhyming, 600 words or less)

BIO: Suhasini Gupta is a children's book author, an engineer, a devoted mom, and a dreamer. She was born and raised in India and currently lives in Texas with her husband and two kids.She is the author of her debut picture book, Kai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Kite, illustrated by Devika Oza, and traditionally published by Gnome Road, releasing on March 25, 2025. It has already received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. This story is about overcoming setbacks and the importance of not giving up when things don’t go as planned.

Growing up, her focus was mostly on STEAM subjects, while music and TV took precedence over storybooks. After having children, she discovered her passion for storytelling, crafting stories for kids that blend her Indian heritage with STEAM themes, and creating imaginative adventures. When she's not writing, Suhasini enjoys tending to her garden, experimenting with new recipes, watching movies, playing music, and cherishing moments with her family.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Instagram/Twitter/Bluesky/Youtube- @thesusankamMy Website- www.thesusankam.com

KAI PO CHE: MINI’S PERFECT KITE can be purchased anywhere books are sold. Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or directly from the Publisher.

Check your local Indie bookstore or you can also order a signed copy here.