Fighting monsters through doodles

Representation pic

It's a mystical world featuring magic, a band of young characters chasing out evil, and a good versus bad fight. And yet, Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom (Hodder Children's Books, Rs 445) reads fresh and unique. Even as the mythology provides a rich tapestry to this tale of an anxious young artist, the story feels relatable, especially to all those experiencing anxious emotions in the pandemic. It also makes for a refreshing way to start conversations around mental wellness with middle-grade readers.

Imagine a sketchbook - into which Kiki pours her anxious energy by drawing the Indian myths and legends she loves - come alive. She then joins a band of rebel kids to free her sketchbook world from the evil god and his demons. Kiki overcomes her fear and anxiety to save both worlds - the real and the imagined - from the wrath of the evil god Mahishasura and his asuras. Author Sangu Mandanna tells us, "I wanted to write a story about a character like Kiki, a creative, neurodivergent child, who struggles with her mental health for a long time, but I couldn't pin down the right story. I grew up in Karnataka, which is where Kiki's mother also grew up, so the folklore and stories were a huge part of my childhood. But because they were so much a part of me, I almost took them for granted. When I started sharing the same stories with my own children, I felt inspired all over again."

Sangu Mandanna

Mandanna especially wanted a story inspired by the myth of Mahishasura and Chamundeshwari. "There's good and evil, an incredibly cool heroine who rides into battle on a lion, a story of hope triumphing over despair. It felt so right to pair that with Kiki's own struggle with doubt and despair. And I think that's what I really wanted readers to take away from the story - that hope can always triumph."

As one would think, it isn't easy to write a book for kids. "As adults, I think it's very easy to underestimate children, but they're invariably much smarter, more creative and curious than we give them credit for. I try to write from the perspective of my younger self, capturing all the doubts, fears and joys I felt at the same age Kiki is in the book."

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