Singing Surya Dreams to Dance follows a young boy who loves to dance but hides his passion because of what others might think, till an encouraging teacher helps him learn that there is nothing wrong with following your heart. What was the inspiration for your story?

The premise of Singing Surya Dreams to Dance stems from age-old gender stereotypes. Pink vs. blue, dolls vs. cars, dance vs. sports, each of these stereotypes pigeonholes us from the time we are children. I wanted to create a story to inspire children to embrace what they love, explore what they are curious about, and the courage to share it with the world. I see Singing Surya Dreams to Dance as a path for children to give themselves permission to do what they love and share what they do. And the book can serve as a reminder to their peers and adults in their lives to support and encourage their journeys.

What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?

Foremost, giving voice to children (honestly, even teens and adults) who make assumptions about what they are and are not “supposed” to do forms the backbone for this book. I believe we can all use education and discussion around what we need permission for, whose permission do we seek, the cost of hiding your passion, and the assumptions we make about people. I also wanted to explore the theme of support and encouragement; being in tune with how others may feel, and being willing to ask for (and take) help. The idea of assumptions was very important to me. What assumptions do we make and why? What purpose do they serve? And how can they be addressed in a constructive way?

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Vidya Vasudevan?

Vidya does beautiful, heartfelt work. This is our second collaboration, and it was another joy just like our work on my debut children’s book Dancing Deepa. Aside from her experience growing up in the Indian diaspora and raising Indian-American children, she connected with Surya’s journey. As an author, it was important to clearly communicate things important to me about the visual elements. It was equally important to give Vidya creative space to flex, and see how she saw the visual representation of the story. She came up with some ideas that jump off the page. Once again, she created some absolute gems for this book. I’m so grateful to collaborate with her, it’s been a wonderful partnership.

What story are you currently in the middle of writing?

I have 3 more stories connected with Surya and Deepa outlined, and I’m letting the ideas marinate in my head. I know one of them will jump out at me, and that’s what I’ll write next. I also have a non-fiction concept in mind, also connected to Indian culture in the diaspora. More to come there!

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