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.”