Mindy Kaling

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jul 20 2021 | Archive Date Aug 03 2021

Talking about this book? Use #MindyKaling #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Mindy Kaling, the actor, writer, producer, and director.

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.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling biography series for kids that explores 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.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
 
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Mindy Kaling, the actor, writer, producer, and director.

When Mindy...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780711259263
PRICE $15.99 (USD)
PAGES 32

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)

Average rating from 55 members


Featured Reviews

5 Reasons to Read Little People, Big Dreams - Mindy Kaling by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
1. It's about Mindy Kaling!
2. Illustrated by the Queen Roza Nozari (@YallaRoza)
3. You want some girl power? Mindy noticed there were hardly any woman working as comedy writers so she became one!
4. Do you know who Mindy was named after? You will once you read this book!
5. Who doesn't love a Dream Board?

Was this review helpful?

I love Mindy, and this short biography of her life was beautiful and heartwarming. The illustrations were colorful and matched the theme of the book perfectly. What a great feminist story!

Was this review helpful?

This series is always a joy to read, it’s a really nice introduction to well known people for little children. Of course the plot is always a little bit fast but that’s to be expected and it’s totally understandable.
I must admit that I know Mindy Kaling more as a public person than actress since I unfortunately haven't seen much of her works, which is something I need to fix as soon as possible. It was so nice and inspiring to read how much she has achieved and I'm sure she could be a great inspiration for the children that get the chance to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

Nice.

I didn't enjoy the illustrations all that much, but the story was nice and I love that it wasn't a book about yet another white person.

Was this review helpful?

As an admirer and big fan, this book was lovely. The illustrations were relatable and appropriate to hold my niece’s attention when I read it to her. Seeing women that are different cultures and driven and smart provide kids with a vision of what can be - not only for themselves but for how they see their friends and classmates. Wonderful book. Heartfelt thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for this advanced copy. I’m grateful.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun book for children about Mindy Kaling! I loved the colorful illustrations and the author does a great job of succinctly summarizing her life and impact. I loved learning about her rise to fame and how she inspires others. I think parents who are fans will enjoy reading this one to their kids!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

As always, the Little People, Big Dreams does a fabulous job telling an interesting story in a way that captures the attention of any child. Mindy Kaling's story is so intriguing and my daughter wanted to read it over and over. This will definitely be one of our family faves!

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review via Netgalley, This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I was sent ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book
For the grown ups - I mean what is not even there to dislike about Mindy our very own kelly Kapoor
This is an excellent children’s book showing them at an early age about strong willed woman characters who own their fairy tale

Was this review helpful?

As an adult this book most likely isn't aimed at me but I'm a fan of Mindy Kaling so I thought I'd give it a go! This book is just an absolute delight and a brilliant introduction of inspirational figures to young kids. It manages to be informative without being patronising and the illustrations are beautiful. Thoroughly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

From an early age Mindy wanted to be a TV comedy scriptwriter focusing on girls of Indian American heritage. After college and working improv she met someone who was able to get her on the writing team of The Office, and soon she was also acting in it! This short and inspirational book is well written, even suitable for ESL, and has illustrations that are mostly simple and forthright as created by Roza Nozari.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

Having read, loved and reviewed the Michelle Obama edition of Little People, Big Dreams I had to try another. Il admit to not knowing a lot about Mindy Kaling so this seemed like a great opportunity to find out more about her life. I was also keen to read the book in a different perspective to the others I have read who have all been people I already know and admired.

As always with this series, the illustrations are bold and probably some of my favourite so far. They are colourful which make for an eye-catching read but the pallet of colours are dusky pink, teal and mustard shades which are really beautiful and stylish.

The story takes us through Mindy's rise to fame via the sitcom 'The Office'
I enjoyed the story, its nice and lighthearted, easy to follow and not overloaded with information.

I really love the focus on being famous and successful as well as being able to start and care for a family in unison with that lifestyle.
I feel this book delivers a positive message about woman in the work place throughout, promoting woman's rights to work and perform in a predominantly male environment and going against the grain of what is considered normal, which I personally fine very inspiring.

This book is culturally diverse with lots of representation for a variety of race and cultures which is always a big plus for me in children's books and something I often see with the Little People, Big Dreams series but as this particular book highlights that Mindy had not seen herself represented in films often, it feels even more important that this book represents its readers and it does this well.

I loved the biographical timeline with real life photos at the end of the book, this provides additional information and it's great to show children the real person behind the character in the story.
I also really enjoyed the additional reading suggestions at the end of the book for those interested in exploring further.

In conclusion, its another fantastic continuation of the series, I'm yet to find an edition I don't like! Thank you to NetGalley and to Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an ecopy of this book in exchange for my impartial review.

Was this review helpful?

I have never seen a kids biography for Mindy Kaling and I love how this series does biographies of not the typical people. One thing I found confusing was at the beginning when it mentioned Africa. It was not untilI read the biography at the end that I understood her parents met in Africa and that is why that detail was there. I thought the rest of the book was clear and nicely written, appriopriate for kids.

Was this review helpful?

Mindy Kaling by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is another strong addition to the fabulous series, Little People, BIG DREAMS. This time, the focus is on actor/writer/director Mindy Kaling. When Mindy was a young girl, she loved the hilarious programs that her family would enjoy together, and dreamed that she would one day follow her passion for comedy into writing and performing. A child of Indian immigrants, Mindy worked hard and never lost sight of her goals, and today she is one of the most respected women working in the entertainment industry.

This wonderful series shines a light on what little people can achieve when they follow their heart and reach for the stars. This is yet another shining installment that is sure to be enjoyed by all ages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publushing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an ARC.

Was this review helpful?

The thing I love about this series, Little People, Big Dreams, is that while the author features many famous men and women from Elton John to Michelle Obama, whom of course we have heard of, she also features people that we may have only heard of in plassing, or never heard of at all.

I was vaguely aware of Mindy Kaling, having heard of The Mindy Project, but never having watched The Office, I didn't know what she was all about.

The point of the books is to get a taste of famous people's lives and where they started. And while it is intended for the very young, they are picture books after all, it is also good for adults to get a quick rundown of who people are and where they came from.

And according to the website of the author, who has now written over 50 of these stories, children love these stories because they always begin with the lives when they were kids.

So, what I'm trying to say is, this is another good addition to the series.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Was this review helpful?

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Readers see the life story of a strong and confident woman, Mindy Kaling, from her childhood through success in the theater world. She serves as an inspiration for younger women to believe in themselves and challenge themselves to pursue their own careers. Sanchez Vegara presents information at a level mid-elementary readers will understand. The illustrations offer further support for the information provided. A timeline at the end offers more facts about Kaling.

Was this review helpful?

Here is a new entry in a series that will inspire young kids and encourage them to realize their dreams. That is surely what happened for Mindy Kaling. As the author shows, from a young age, Mindy was interested in making people laugh. But…that was not enough. She also wanted to see people who looked like her reflected in the tv shows that they watched.

Readers will enjoy following Ms. Kaling as she achieves her goals. As is always the case with this series, there are some photos and a timeline at the back of the book. There are also suggestions for further research.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This series of young inspirational biographies hits on one of its more hip and trendy subjects now, as opposed to all those boring old dead people. Mindy Kaling, by dint of being the first person that showed the US that people from the Indian subcontinent could be witty and clever, has to go down as quite the trailblazer, and her own corrective to how under-represented she felt growing up and starting out in comedy and performing. This succinct summary of her life so far then is fine – although there is often a caveat with these books. And you probably guessed, it's the visuals. I could go into many words and discuss how unsightly I found them, but I will just leave it by saying they are nowhere near as attractive as Ms Kaling herself.

Was this review helpful?

I really love this series. So many of the biographies are of people the kids are interested in, but there are no biographies of. To be honest, I didn't know who Mindy Kaling is before I read the book, but I like the idea that I can get a biography for those kids who want one.

Was this review helpful?

Another great installment in a great series!

This picture book biography is about American-Indian comedian Mindy Kaling, of whom I never heard before, probably because I never watched the Office.

I love how the series is branching out, depicting not only people that are long dead or have reached their career's end, but are living their best life, so readers can finish the book and go out and explore what else the person depicted is doing <i>right now</i>.

And, as always, after the biography we have a short timeline and further reading suggestions.
I love this series. I am learning while being entertained, and the author does not talk down to the target audience. If there were a toddler in my life, they'd be gifted with books from this series.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Was this review helpful?

My kiddos and I love the Little People, Big Dreams book so I decided to try this one out as well. I am familiar with Mindy, but probably do not know as much about her as most people do as I rarely watch TV. I enjoyed learning a little about her life growing up and I like the illustrations. I do not care for The Office, so I actually didn't know that she was a writer of the show. However, it is quite a trendy show with a large following, so it is pretty neat reading of her love for screen writing turn into such a high profile career. My kids were not as interested in this book as the others in the series, but I still thought it was interesting and well written.

Was this review helpful?

Mindy Kaling is the newest lead in this latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This series is such a delight and the perfect way to educate not just kids but everyone about historic and cultural icons.

Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer and director. This book follows Mindy Kaling as she writes and performs stand up right out of college to being one of the first women to write on and later star on 'The Office'. Finally, showcasing her strides as becoming the first Indian-American woman to write and produce her own show.

Roza Vegara illustrates this installment and does an amazing job. Vegara's' art style was so captivating and her art definitely further helped tell Mindy's story. I love collecting these books and am so thrilled to add this one to the rest of my collection.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

I am such a fan of Mindy Kaling so I was thrilled to see she would be featured as part of this children’s collection. This book captures how she broke barriers, not only just for women, but for women of color. She continues to grow in her craft, and I love that it was included that she could still be this creative woman, and be a mom. So often society says you can only be one or the other, and it’s so important that children see that is not the case. The illustrations were engaging and followed the text very well. Overall, it was a wonderful story of making yourself proud.

Was this review helpful?

This is the most adorable little biography I’ve ever read. I’ve read most of the books by Mindy Kaling, so I thought I knew everything about her but I learned several new things in this book. So cute! I hope there are more books in this series.

Was this review helpful?

I was never really big into the Office, but I remember when Mindy Kaling became a household name. This is my third book to read in this series and I thought it was enjoyable and informative! I liked seeing Mindy's story and I hope her story inspires other children, especially girls who want careers in male-dominated spaces. Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

A must read for Mindy Kaling fans of all ages!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was a fast paced, short, brief history of Mindy Kaling in a children’s graphic novel form. I personally did not know much about Mindy’s life and aspersions before reading this. The author highlights how big of an inspiration she is to young girls with big ideas. I will be buying this book to read to all the young girls in my life.

Was this review helpful?

I adore Mindy Kaling. From the first time seeing her in the Office through The Mindy Project (which I am currently rewatching for the 3rd time) to all of her great movies, She’s an inspiration to young girls everywhere. I appreciate how self deprecating she can be. I love her story of how with hard work and a dream you can succeed in doing what you love.

This book was adorable and an easy read for younger readers. The story flowed and explained her time as a young child and how she got to follow her dreams and become a comedy writer. The illustrations were awesome and I’d love for my daughter to read this book.

Thank you #Netgalley and #Quartopublishing for this ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4100545002?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Was this review helpful?

The Little People, BIG DREAMS series is so awesome, I learn something new every time I read on of these books!

I loved Mindy Kaling in The Mindy Project and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about her life.

Keeps these books coming, they are awesome!

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Mindy Kaling is the latest book in the Little People Big Dreams series and was a breath of fresh air.
I've heard of Mindy Kaling but didn't know a lot about her. This is something I'm definitely going to remedy ASAP.
What an interesting and fun filled life this lady leads!
I love this series for children - it is a fantastic way of teaching them about inspirational people (deceased and still living) and encouraging them to reach their potential, break down barriers, chase their dreams and be heard!
I don't think I as an adult will ever bore of this series and children will read these books again and again!

Was this review helpful?

This was a great children’s book to read to my sons. It’s a good example of how setting goals then working hard towards those goals make anything possible. They enjoyed the illustrations too. Overall a great book, that I will buy for our collection as well as gifts for friends with children! Thank you for the copy to enjoy!

Was this review helpful?

I really like this série
To include her was a good idea, I learned a lot. As usual the illustration and the cover are perfect.

Was this review helpful?

While wandering around NetGalley, I stumbled across this awesome new board book series for babies and toddlers. The vibrant, yet simple, covers displaying historical women that I have grown up learning caught my eye, and it instantly drew me to pick up a few of these books off the shelves. To be totally honest, I was so intrigued by these books that I ended up sitting right down to explore this new nonfiction board book series.


Through my reading and my post-reading research, I have learned that Little People, Big Dreams is a new series that focuses on introducing the youngest of readers to amazing, wonderful women that have influenced the world. Each book is purposely designed in order to highlight one woman who has made a difference in the world. It tells the story of that women's dream and how she was able to make her dream come true despite the biggest of obstacles.


I loved the simplicity of the design of the series, Little People, Big Dreams. The authors and illustrators who have worked on this project clearly understand their audience, and they have made each of the books reflect exactly what they want their youngest of readers to be exposed to. Designed for babies and toddlers, Little People, Big Dreams uses simple text and engaging pictures to tell the story of each woman in a kid-friendly manner.


Often times, my biggest complaint with board books is that they lack plots or messages. Even though board books are purposely designed for babies and toddlers, I absolutely believe they still need to be strong examples of books that contain both strong plots and messages. All age levels of children need to have access to great text.


I loved how Little People, Big Dreams designed their biography series for baby and preschool readers. There are not many nonfiction book series out there. This series is absolutely helping to pave the way to push the norm for what we typically think of when we think of baby books. Little People, Big Dreams series is a positive example of how even our youngest readers can read and learn from awesome books!

Was this review helpful?

I love everything about Mindy Kaling and this book about her life is no exception! I had no idea this Little People, Big Dreams series existed until I was given an advance copy of this one and now I want to read them all!
This is a quick read with just a paragraph on each page, but the pictures or phenomenal and the information contained in each page will genuinely help kids understand who she is and what she has accomplished. I think this is a great way for kids to see that you can dream big (as the title suggests, and Mindy has proven) no matter who you are or where you come from. I can see kids reading this over and over just to enjoy the pictures!
Fantastic book and if all the other books are similar, then I’m not hesitant to say fantastic series!
Thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

Mindy Chokalingam started life loving movies, writing scripts, and being funny. She had big dreams, but whenever she watched a movie there was never a person who looked like herself. She decided she would be a comedian.

She is discovered and writes for and acts for the hugely popular show, ‘The Office’. By this time, she has changed her name to Mindy Kaling. After several years she decides to start writing and directing her own show. This is a major accomplishment and she is the first Indian/American woman to do this.

Mindy just decided to be herself and her enormous talent carried her far. Her dreams did happen. She is an incredible woman and has achieved so much in a short time.

This series is so important because there are so many children unsure if they can achieve their goals. It helps so much to see people like themselves doing well. Children need to see all different types of people in this world and know they are not limited.

I loved this book, as I do all in this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegera, and Frances Lincoln Books for granting me an ARC of this book. I really appreciate it.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It's a great book for young readers. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Was this review helpful?

This picture book biography is a simple, appealing introduction to Mindy Kaling's family background, early work, success in television writing, and ongoing prominence as a remarkable South Asian woman in the entertainment industry. The illustrations in this book didn't appeal to me quite as much as some of the others in the series, especially since the proportions were off on some pages, but it's a nicely done book that will appeal to Mindy Kaling fans and to people who are interested in learning about her.

Was this review helpful?

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This little book tells the story of Mindy Kaling, widely known for her amazing work on The Office. She's truly an inspirational figure and I'm glad children can read and learn about her.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a really sweet representation of Mindy’s career distilled down into a few pages with great illustrations.

I have a young niece and nephew, so I love reading inspiring stories that I might want to buy for them. This one definitely is something I’ll share with them once it’s published.

My one complaint is that the book is very very short. I wish there were a few more pages so that they could showcase not only that she decided to go to college but she worked really hard and got into Dartmouth. She also worked really hard to get a seat at writers tables and be taken seriously as a female writer, and the book because of the brevity makes it seem like her opportunity with the office was just given to her. So I would have liked to see a little more about how much she did to make sure people knew she was excellent.

Was this review helpful?

As a half south Asian woman, I love this. It’s so important for children to see people who look like them in the media/on tv. I hope this book can help kids. I would have loved to have a book like this when I was younger!

Was this review helpful?

Mindy Kaling is awesome! I've read her essay collections and she is so funny on both the page and the screen. Now, you can share the joy of Mindy with the littles in your life. In this picture book, Isabel Sanchez Vegara gives us a kid-friendly look at the life of Mindy. Mindy was raised in an Indian-American family and early on developed a passion for writing and comedy. She went on to be the first Indian-American woman to star in her own show. She is breaking barriers and being a great inspiration for others.

The book is loaded with colorful illustrations and approachable text for kids. The book also has a bunch of extra stuff at the end like photos and a timeline.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: