KAI PO CHE
I’m happy to welcome my Kids Book Crew teammate, Suhasini Gupta, to the blog today to celebrate the release of her new book, KAI PO CHE, MINI’S PERFECT KITE. Published by Gnome Road Publishing on March 25, 2025, and illustrated by Deviza Oka, this is a book that is full of color, fun, and culture.
***
A bit about KAI PO CHE:
Little Mini is determined to celebrate the Indian kite festival, Sankranti, but she doesn’t own a kite and wants to fly one, just like Bhai. But Bhai thinks kites aren’t for little girls. Mini must use her creativity, compassion, and courage to join in the fun and, ultimately, help avert an impending kite-astrophe!
***
Now on to our interview:
M. Suhasini, it’s so nice to have you here on the blog to chat about your book, which seems to be doing great. Congratulations! Can you share what inspired you to write this story? Do you celebrate Sankranti with your family nowadays?
S. Sankranti usually falls in mid-January every year, and we look forward to the local kite events held near temples. We fly kites, pray at the temple, and enjoy Indian sweets and snacks. Frankly speaking, I don’t think this idea would’ve come to me if we hadn’t missed the local kite festival we’d planned to attend as a family a couple of years ago. But that year, when we missed it, the kids were really disappointed. To cheer them up, I began to share my childhood memories of kite flying during summer visits to my grandparents’ place. That’s when it hit me, back then, it was always my cousins and uncles flying kites, while I was given the assistant job of holding the spool or chasing cut kites. Maybe they thought little girls weren’t meant to fly kites! That’s how I found the inspiration for this story, and the character Mini (meaning small) was born. Because really, kites are like dreams, not bound by any gender, religion, or size. You’ve just got to steer them in the right direction, protecting them from the attackers/ dream stealers.
***
M. I love that story and also the analogy of kites and dreams. Thanks for sharing! Why was it important for you to write a story about siblings and perseverance?
S. With an engineering background, I never imagined becoming a writer until my two kids came along. They are the ones who inspired me to start writing stories, and since I’m constantly surrounded by sibling drama at home, that theme came naturally to me. I also grew up with a younger sibling, and I’m aware of the chemistry/ bond, the chaos, and so it flows easily into my writing. As for perseverance, that’s been the heartbeat of my own journey. Being in query trenches and facing countless rejections taught me one thing: you’ve just got to keep on keeping on, until it’s done! There is no shortcut to success, only one determined step at a time. So, in short, this story comes straight from my own experiences, real memories, and emotions wrapped in a fictional world. In many ways, Mini is the little me I wanted to be!
***
M. I agree, our own experiences and memories find a way into the pages of our stories, and that’s so magical and unique about the books we write and what makes the connection to our readers more authentic. Now, can you tell us how was it for you to meet your characters when you were shown the illustrations?
S. Meeting the characters for the first time was emotional. I had tears in my eyes- happy ones, of course. First, because I couldn’t believe it was really happening. It all felt like a dream. And second, because the illustrator, Devika, truly exceeded my imagination and expectations. She absolutely nailed the expressions and little character details that were important to the story. It was one of those priceless moments you can’t express in words; you only have to experience it for yourself. I feel blessed to have gotten a chance to work with Gnome Road and the entire team. Thanks to the editor, Sandra, for believing in Kai Po Che!
***
M. I know that emotion well, and it’s something that has blown my mind away every time. I agree, Devika really did a wonderful job with this book. What was your favorite scene to write in this story, and which one was the most challenging?
S. The climax was both my favorite and the most challenging scene to write. It was my favorite because it added that “oomph” factor to the story. Before the climax, many readers thought that the story was over when Mini learned to fly her kite, but that’s exactly when the story picked up pace. Despite being a novice kite flyer, Mini takes matters into her own hands and bravely faces the attacker who cut Bhai’s kite. It was also the most challenging because the resolution required the right balance—Mini’s success had to feel like sweet revenge, but without letting that success go to her head and preserving the siblings’ chemistry of protecting each other in times of trouble. Mini, as a character, displays the ideal child or student who is smart, creative, compassionate, a problem solver, a risk taker, and a quick learner who knows when to follow rules and when to bend them. Above all, she remains imperfect, learning from her mistakes because no one is perfect.
***
M. How fun! I really enjoyed that scene of the climax and I’m sure many little readers have felt the emotion in those pages too. Suhasini, which would you say is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned by going through the publishing process?
S. The publishing industry is slow, but that doesn’t mean you have to be slow! You can run as fast as you want. So, to succeed here, you’ve got to write faster than people can read. Since the industry is so subjective, the only thing in your control is to write, write, write, and keep querying. Get good at writing and even better at handling rejections by writing more.
One of my favorite quotes by Zig Ziglar is, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you’ve to start to be great.” I began with no writing background, but I kept learning for the last four years. If publishing is your dream, just keep writing because perseverance makes all the difference.
***
Thanks so much for such a lovely chat and congratulations again on the success of your book, Suhasini. I wish you the best and a lot of fun in the coming weeks/months as you continue to promote it.
***
SUHASINI’S BIO
Suhasini Gupta is a children’s book author and a former engineer with a Master’s in MIS from the University of Houston. She was born and raised in India and currently lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. When she is not writing, she loves to garden, cook, watch movies, and spend time with her family. She is a member of SCBWI and 12×12. Her debut picture book, Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite, came out in March ’25 with Gnome Road Publishing. Find out more about Suhasini at https://www.thesusankam.com/
Social handles: @thesusankam
Thanks for reading!
M
PS. Remember you can subscribe to my newsletter by clicking the pink button.
Cover photo by Sharath G.
