Supriya Kelkar – författare

A charming holiday story following one girl's family as they celebrate their Diwali traditions with the ones they love.Devi loves the Diwali season. It's a time to wear her favorite red bindi and eat samosas until she bursts! Make mithai and design rangoli with her Papa. And paint diyas with her nani-a reminder to shine her light brightly all year long. This joyful story, with vibrant collage illustrations,?follows one girl's Diwali traditions as her family celebrates their favorite holiday with the ones they love.

Pavadais in bright gold colorsJersey shirts and faded jeansSwapping, changing, feeling seen...Which is the color of me?A young girl longs to know where she fits in: Is she American? Or is she Indian? Does she have to pick or can she be both? With bright, joyful rhyme, and paired with an immersive art style using American and Indian fabrics, American Desi celebrates the experiences of young children growing up first and second generation Indian American: straddling the two cultural worlds they belong to, embracing all they love of both worlds and refusing to be limited by either.This story is a powerful tribute to the joy of being South Asian and for every reader who aspires to bridge their worlds with grace, grit, and confidence.

In this sweet, rollicking poem about the ups and downs of a school year, Indian-American author and illustrator Supriya Kelkar crafts a delightful ode to the educators everywhere who shape our lives.Featuring a wide variety of teachers - from homeroom to gym to music class - this is the perfect gift book for any school-aged child to give their educators.Celebrate Back to School, the First 100 Days, National Teacher Day & Appreciation Week (the first week of May), and Graduation by writing an educator a thank-you note using the author's how-to guide in the backmatter.From weekday victories to school-trip catastrophes and even hard-to-place apostrophes, there is no problem too hard to solve when a teacher is in the classroom!

In this sweet, rollicking poem about the ups and downs of a school year, Indian-American author and illustrator Supriya Kelkar crafts a delightful ode to the teachers who shape our lives in art class, gym, homeroom, and beyond.From weekday triumphs to field-trip catastrophes and hard-to-place apostrophes, there is no problem too difficult to solve when a teacher is by your side.

From award-winning author-illustrators Supriya Kelkar and Jarrett Lerner comes an illustrated middle-grade novel about a pair of unlikely friends determined to save the library that brought them together.Roohi and Nate are not friends. Their paths have crossed a handful of times over the years—and the outcome has never been good. Nate thinks Roohi is a snobby know-it-all, and Roohi thinks Nate is nothing but a slacker.But that begins to change when they both somewhat reluctantly join a reading club that meets during lunch at their school library. The Lunch Bunch allows Roohi to open up about feeling disconnected from her friends on the track team after a broken toe sidelined her for the season.Nate, who has always struggled in school, shares how tired he is of constantly being compared to his genius older brother. Despite their differences, and maybe because of them, Roohi and Nate form a friendship unlike any other they’ve ever had, with each other and with the other kids in the club.As the Lunch Bunch gets stronger, though, things seem to be falling apart at the library. When the kids learn that their beloved librarian, Mrs. Sharp’s, job may be in danger due to budget cuts, they band together to find a solution . . . which proves to be easier said than done.Can Roohi and Nate’s new friendship survive outside of the Lunch Bunch in order to save the place that brought them together?

From acclaimed duo Raakhee Mirchandani and Supriya Kelkar comes a joyful picture book that celebrates self-expression, family, and cultural connection as one little girl wears traditional Indian clothing to school for the first timeIt’s a BIG week. Friday is school picture day, and one little girl has just FIVE DAYS to figure out the perfect outfit!She finds inspiration in a box of Mom’s childhood photos—including one of Mom wearing traditional Indian clothes. Our narrator gets a brilliant idea: she’ll wear Indian clothes to school this week!As she counts down to picture day, she mixes all her favorite pieces—a blue bindi with her favorite basketball leggings, a friendship bracelet with shimmering bangles and Mom’s jhumkas—to find a picture day look that’s proudly her.Spotlighting an Indian American family and inspired by a true story, this empowering picture book from powerhouse duo and real-life best friends Supriya Kelkar and Raakhee Mirchandani shows how our families and cultures can help us feel the most like ourselves—and that’s worth sharing!

Harpreet Singh has a different colour for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. He especially takes care with his patka - the turban all Sikhs wear - smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again?

A companion to Kelkar’s The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, this picture book features a little girl named Bindu whose bindis connect her to family and help her find courage to compete in the school talent show. This charming picture book is about a little girl who loves her bindis (and the many creative shapes they come in!). The bindis are also a connection to her Nani who lives in India. When Nani comes to visit Bindu and brings the bindis to her, it is just in time to wear something new to the school talent show. Bindu and Nani work together to shine their brightest and embrace their sparkle, even when they stand out from the crowd.

Usaba amarillo cuando se sentía alegre...Usaba azul cuando se sentía nervioso...Harpreet cuidaba mucho sus coloridos turbantes. Se aseguraba de que estuvieran limpios y suaves, y los alisaba con esmero antes de ponérselos. Supriya Kelkar muestra con facilidad la amplia variedad de emociones que todos sentimos por medio del patka que Harpreet usa a diario. Ahora que Harpreet tiene que mudarse a una nueva ciudad y cambiar de escuela, solo quiere usar su patka gris porque extraña su hogar. Con las bellas ilustraciones de Alea Marley, Los muchos colores de Harpreet Singh (Spanish Edition) es el libro perfecto para quienes estén aprendiendo a encontrar su lugar en el mundo y a expresar sus sentimientos.He wore yellow when he felt sunny...He wore blue when he felt nervous...Harpreet took great care of his colorful patkas. He made sure they were clean and soft, smoothing each one out gently before putting it on. Supriya Kelkar effortlessly shows the wide range of emotions we all experience through a patka that Harpreet wears every day. Now that Harpreet has to move to a new home and new school, Harpreet only wants to wear his gray patka because he misses his home. With beautiful illustrations from Alea Marley, The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh (Spanish Edition) is perfect for readers who are learning to find their place in the world and express their feelings.

An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk and Amina’s Voice.As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian. When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha. To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school. When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.

Bollywood takes over in this “effervescent” (Booklist) and magical middle grade novel about an Indian American girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into glamorous song-and-dance routines during everyday life.You know how in Bollywood when people are in love, they sing and dance from the mountaintops? Eleven-year-old Sonali wonders if they do the same when they’re breaking up. The truth is, Sonali’s parents don’t get along, and it looks like they might be separating. Sonali’s little brother, Ronak, is not taking the news well, constantly crying. Sonali would never do that. It’s embarrassing to let out so many feelings, to show the world how not okay you are. But then something strange happens, something magical, maybe. When Sonali gets upset during a field trip, she can’t bury her feelings like usual—instead, she suddenly bursts into a Bollywood song-and-dance routine about why she’s upset! The next morning, much to her dismay, Sonali’s reality has shifted. Things seem brighter, almost too bright. Her parents have had Bollywood makeovers. Her friends are also breaking out into song and dance. And somehow, everyone is acting as if this is totally normal. Sonali knows something has gone wrong, and she suspects it has something to do with her own mismanaged emotions. Can she figure it out before it’s too late?

From the author of American as Paneer Pie comes an “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade adventure steeped in Indian folklore following a girl who learns how to find her voice and face her fears, perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Amina’s Song.Ten-year-old Geetanjali doesn’t mind singing, but she knows she’ll never be as good as her mother, Aai, or grandmother, Aaji, famous classical singers from India whose celebrity has followed the family all the way to their small town of Deadwood, Michigan, where Geetanjali lives with her aai and her father, Baba. After freezing on stage during a concert performance, Geetanjali adds “fear of singing” to her list of fears, a list that seems to be multiplying daily. Aai tries to stress the importance of using one’s voice and continuing to sing; Geetanjali hopes that when her aaji comes to visit this summer, she’ll be able to help her. But when they pick Aaji up at the airport, she’s not alone. Lata, an auntie Geetanjali has never met before is with Aaji and their neighbor, Heena Auntie, who is acting strange and mean, and not like the warm auntie she normally is. Lata Auntie has heard all about Geetanjali’s family, growing up in India. She knows Aai and Aaji are the only ones who can sing raag Naagshakti. Aai plays it off, but Geetanjali thinks back to the raag in the binder that started with an N that had been torn out. She has never heard of Raag Naagshakti, which sounds like it is about the power of cobras. Geetanjali is determined not to let her imagination get the best of her and add aunties to her list of fears, but she can’t help but wonder about the connection between the missing raag, Heena Auntie’s cold behavior, and their interesting summer visitor.

Bollywood takes over in this “effervescent” (Booklist) and magical middle grade novel about an Indian American girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into glamorous song-and-dance routines during everyday life.You know how in Bollywood when people are in love, they sing and dance from the mountaintops? Eleven-year-old Sonali wonders if they do the same when they’re breaking up. The truth is, Sonali’s parents don’t get along, and it looks like they might be separating. Sonali’s little brother, Ronak, is not taking the news well, constantly crying. Sonali would never do that. It’s embarrassing to let out so many feelings, to show the world how not okay you are. But then something strange happens, something magical, maybe. When Sonali gets upset during a field trip, she can’t bury her feelings like usual—instead, she suddenly bursts into a Bollywood song-and-dance routine about why she’s upset! The next morning, much to her dismay, Sonali’s reality has shifted. Things seem brighter, almost too bright. Her parents have had Bollywood makeovers. Her friends are also breaking out into song and dance. And somehow, everyone is acting as if this is totally normal. Sonali knows something has gone wrong, and she suspects it has something to do with her own mismanaged emotions. Can she figure it out before it’s too late?