Member Reviews
Mindy Kaling by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara takes a look at this famous and contemporary actor/author/director. Many of the books in this series explore the lives of those who lived before. There are a handful of people still alive, and right in the middle of their extraordinary lives. Others include Kamala Harris, and Michelle Obama. Kaling studied theatre and would go on to act in the US version of The Office. She wrote and produced episodes as well. Eventually, she created her own shows, which she also directed.
At the end is a section with more detailed information on life, suitable for older readers. Inspirational and educational both, this entire series is great, and full of delightful art to engage younger audiences!
Oh we love these books they are so great for our home edding. Such imaginative and inspiring reads. Thank you netgalley
I love these books. Although aimed at a younger generation, I find myself learning about people I don’t know and learning new things about people I’ve heard of before.
I have loved every entry in this series so far and this one did not disappoint.
With bright illustrations and child-friendly language, young readers can learn about the life of Mindy Kaling. A great subject for the book, showing that it doesn't matter your background or ethnicity, you can achieve anything you want to do.
I probably wouldn't use this with younger children, as she would be a less well-known subject, however it would be great to use with UKS2 children.
The new additions to the brilliant Little People, Big Dreams series come thick and fast and when they are this good, I say ‘keep them coming’.
As a little girl, Mindy Kaling loved to laugh and loved to make other people laugh. What Mindy didn’t find funny was the lack of people that looked like her in the movies that she watched. There was only one thing to do about this, become a comedy writer. And so began a journey that would take Mindy from writing at her mother’s office to comedy clubs to becoming the star of her own TV show…
This was another one of those occasions where I was opening a biography about a person that I was completely unfamiliar with. A quick google later and a few clips of YouTube and I am absolutely in love with her. As always, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara delivers a highly engaging and accessible biography. I loved learning about Mindy’s journey from her dreams of seeing comedies written by and staring someone like her to her first forays into scriptwriting in her mother’s office. From performing in comedy clubs to writing and starring in the smash-hit show ‘The Office’ and achieving her dream of creating and starring in her own show. As well as being successful, Mindy is a mother and I love that the book shows children, particularly young girls, that they can have both at the same time. She is a true inspiration and underlines that through hard-work, persistence and channeling all of your efforts into your passion you can achieve that which may seem impossible.
Whilst Mindy’s life is full of laughter there have been plenty of not-so-funny moments along the way and it is her determination to break down barriers in order to pursue her dreams that makes her story such a valuable addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. She entered a profession that was dominated by men and proved that women could be just as funny, or in Mindy’s case, funnier. She is a screen-writing pioneer and an absolute star both on and off screen.
Children need to see people like Mindy and hear their stories that prove that race, gender and ethnicity are not barriers to achieving dreams but opportunities to break new ground and be a trail-blazer. Her story is told in short and simple sentence and is delightfully illustrated with bright and bold artwork. At the back of the the book there is a short overview of her life so far which includes key facts and dates and a historical timeline featuring photographs.
Recommended for 5+.
With thanks to Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the advanced reader copy that was received through NetGalley.
This children's book is about a woman called Mindy Kaling, who is an actor, writer, producer, and director. The book has lovely illustrations and it follows Mindy from when she was a little girl, through to when she is an adult writing, producing and acting in a TV series called The Office, in the USA, as well as in other shows and movies. Mindy does great work entertaining the masses and I found it interesting to read about her life and her achievements.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is another brilliant addition to this series – even as an adult I look out for the next book in the series being released!
I love the images in this series and this is a delightful introduction to Mindy Kaling - I am in the UK and had heard of her but did not realise how much she has been involved in until I read this book – I loved she fought against the odds and got to follow her dreams too!
This series is an excellent introduction to some of the well-known, and less well-known characters that have had a great impact in our lives through a variety of subjects such as literature and social influences in this case television - I love the variety of people chosen and the mix of backgrounds that they have too.
It is 5 stars from me for this one – a delightful read and one I will be very highly recommending and this one has inspired me as an adult to want to find out more about Mindy!
I really enjoyed this book! It was a great read, i didnt want to put it down! I would recommend this to my friends and family
I absolutely adore the Little People, Big Dreams series. Filled with glorious illustrations, these texts are a fabulous springboard for classroom discussion. I love how they cover such a broad range of famous faces, from scientists to musicians.
I was unfamiliar with the story of Mindy Kaling and so I was very much looking forward to learning more about this inspirational actor, writer, producer, and director. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this offering from Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, which painted an interesting picture of the life of Kaling. The illustrations were incredible and really helped to bring the story to life. I did feel that the story was a little more rushed than others in the series and didn’t have quite the same impact upon me in terms of its message and wider reach, however I still enjoyed it.
We will be adding this book to our Person of the Week list and I know it will be enjoyed by many of my Year 5 readers. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This is a short biography of Mindy Kaling, an Indian-American comedian, actress, writer and producer.
I didn't know very much about Mindy Kaling before reading this, and although it wasn't one of the more interesting ones in this series for me, not being too familiar with Mindy's work, these biographies are still firm favourites of mine.
I love the diversity of the people featured in this series. Artists, athletes, authors, activists, explorers, entertainers, musicians and scientists,
These biographies are age appropriate; inspiring and interesting, but not overwhelming. They have bright, beautiful illustrations, striking covers, and look great on a shelf together.
I was so excited to see Mindy getting her own edition of this book. Hers is a very relatable yet aspirational story. She has really paved the way for our South Asian women in the entertainment and comedy industry. This would be perfect to show kids that if they can't see themselves in the media they can just write themselves in!
Another fantastic addition to this series! You may already know that we're big fans of the Little People Big Dreams series, which takes up half a shelf in our library.
The latest title introduces Indian-American comedian, writer, actress and producer Mindy Kaling and is available from today.
We really enjoyed learning who Mindy Kaling was and were impressed by her determination and focus in working towards her dream from a young age. Mindy recognised that people who look like here weren't represented on screen, and worked to change this. Her achievements are truly inspirational.
Inspired by the cover illustration, I'm now off to hunt for a large piece of cardboard to make a TV frame for my kids, so they can have a go at producing their own stories and comedy...
Thanks to @netgalley and @quarto.kids for the eARC in exchange for a review.
Such a beautiful series of children’s books. These books introduce children to some wonderfully inspirational people. They briefly delve into the past of some great people and show kids that if they dream big enough and work hard, they can be anything they want to be.
I think Mindy Kaling is such an underated comedian, writer and producer. When I first thought of Mindy Kaling, The Office springs to mind. Her character Kelly is such a funny character, but what baffles me is the Mindy wrote on the Office series too! I really loved reading more about her life through this book. It was beautifully illustrated and covered the many jobs Mindy has done over the span of her career. A lovely addition to the collection.
This is the first book I've read from the Little People, Big Dreams collection and I loved it.
Short and sweet, with beautiful illustrations. It was a really nice way to learn about Mindy's life and achievements.
Great for younger readers as well as older. Definitely worth a read.
Although I enjoyed reading about Mindy's story, I didn't feel like it actually explained what she did very well for children as most won't know what the office is!
I wasn't entirely sure who Mindy Kaling was to be honest, but as I love these books I wanted to read it anyway and I wasn't disappointed.
Once I started reading the book I realised who it was about. I just didn't know her by name!
Enjoyed learning about her life, and what in particular she is well known for.
Great book
WoW! Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara books must be one of the best little books to purchase for children, these are the best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.
So, this latest book is about Mindy Kaling by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and is just brilliant.
"When Mindy was a little girl, she loved TV comedy sketches; in particular, Saturday Night Live. At college, she studied theater and met a friend with whom she created her first off-Broadway production. It was there she was spotted by the writer and producer of The Office (US) for the role of Kelly Kapoor. Mindy went on to write and executive produce hilarious episodes of The Office.
She then went on to create The Mindy Project, and Never Have I Ever, the Netflix Original smash hit watched by 40 million people, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a director and writer."
This empowering book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with photos and a detailed profile of Mindy's life.
It's one book, you should definitely buy for your little readers so they can learn about this wonderful artist.
I am so glad these books are being published and I highly recommend all of these books
Many thanks to Quarto’s Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love these books! I think they're brilliant! This book is no exception.
I didn't really know too much about Mindy Kaling - I knew who she was, but didn't really know her background. This book really highlights the fact that Kaling broke down the barriers in terms of race and ethnicity. This is great for children to read, and very inspiring.
Another fabulous book in the series - bring on the next one!!
We love these books!
Mindy Kaling is such a brilliant addition to the collection. My seven year daughter read this to me last night and we really enjoyed it. I’m a fan of Mindy Kaling’s work and although my daughter had never heard of her , now when she discovers her comedy when she’s older she will know how Mindy achieved her success.
It’s great to see a lesser known ( to children anyway) role model celebrated in this series. We particularly enjoyed how Mindy has been working towards her goals since was a child and how when she realised that people who looked like her she were not being represented on tv , she went ahead and made sure they would be.
What an inspiration for a little mind to read about. Every one of these books is always wonderfully illustrated but special mention to the illustrations in this, I think they are the best yet. So vibrant and colourful and lept from the page , perfectly accompanying the story of Mindy Kaling’s life to date. I’ll definitely be buying a copy of this when it’s published.