Mandanna creates vibrant, relatable characters, including secondary figures like Ashwini and the Crows who are fleshed out enough for readers to connect. Armed only with her pencil, she makes an unlikely hero, but one that demonstrates the power young people can wield when they trust their talents. Inside the sketchbook world, it is up to Kiki to defeat the demon king before he escapes to the real one. While this story is celebrated in the real city of Mysore annually during Dussehra, in Kiki's it begins when a doorway opens from her world to one she created in her sketchbook, filled with her mother's folktales with her own fresh spin. Steeped in Hindu mythology, Mandanna's fast-paced modern take on a classical myth explores the legend of Mysore and the Goddess Chamundeshwari's victory over the demon king, Mahishasura. When her anxiety is overwhelming, she takes comfort in these stories and reimagines her ancestors as characters she draws in her sketchbook, which provides an escape both literal and metaphorical. Gr 4-8-Raised by her single mother in London, Kiki Kallira has grown up listening to her mother's stories of family and folklore from India.

But how can a girl armed with only a pencil defeat something so powerful?

As the one responsible for creating the evil god, Kiki must overcome her fear and anxiety to save both worlds-the real and the imagined-from his wrath. Kiki ends up falling into the mystical world she drew, which includes a lot of wonderful discoveries like the band of rebel kids who protect the kingdom, as well as not-so-great ones like the ancient deity bent on total destruction. One day, her sketchbook's calming effect is broken when her mythological characters begin springing to life right out of its pages. Kiki's sketchbook is full of fanciful doodles of the rich Indian myths and legends her mother has told her over the years. Did she lock the front door? Is there a terrible reason her mom is late? Recently her anxiety has been getting out of control, but one thing that has always soothed her is drawing. By Grade + Interest - K to 1st By Grade + Interest - 2nd to 3rd By Grade + Interest - 4th to 5thįor fans of the Aru Shah and Serpent's Secret series, this action-packed fantasy-adventure sees a girl's drawings of Indian mythology spring to vivid life-including the evil god who seeks to enter the real world and destroy it.

Kiki kallira series