KAI PO CHE

An Indian girl faces down a rival with her brother.

It’s Sankranti, “the Indian festival of kites,” and Mini wants to join in the fun. But when she asks her brother, Bhai, for a turn flying the kite, he scoffs, “Kites aren’t for little girls!” Determined to prove him wrong, Mini designs her own “not-so-perfect” kite, which, despite her best efforts, simply refuses to fly. Although Bhai initially laughs at her struggles, he finally shows her how to get her kite into the air. Mini is overjoyed to see her kite join those of her neighbors flying over her community’s rooftops—until a red kite flown by someone they can’t see slices through Bhai’s kite string, ending his fun. “KAI PO CHE!” yells the unseen attacker as the kite flies away. Can Mini stand up to the red kite’s owner…or at least protect her own kite from being stolen? The narrative’s abrupt switch from Mini’s attempts to prove her brother wrong to her focus on the red kite makes for somewhat uneven storytelling. Still, confident, creative Mini will delight kids. Filled with bright, geometric shapes, Oza’s artwork sets a whimsical tone; scenes involving the kite festival are particularly charming, as is a montage of Mini painstakingly designing her own kite.

Though it encounters a few bumps along the way, this tale ultimately soars.