Interview with Aditya Shah and Karan Shah | Illustrator Urvashi Dubey, author of Food Fight

Our experiences in school, where we witnessed food fights and shared lunches with friends, seasoned our story with nostalgia and authenticity.

on May 03, 2023

Interview with Aditya Shah and Karan Shah

Frontlist: How did your background in the food industry influence creating a story around a food fight while conveying a meaningful message to children?

Karan & Aditya: Having been around food, recipes, cooking, and kitchens in Swati Snacks and Junos Pizza, we cant help but have some foodie ideas rub off on our imagination. Apart from being a director at Swati Snacks, Karan is an established screenplay writer in Bollywood. Aditya, along with founding of Juno’s Pizza, majored in creative writing at the University of Southern California. Our background in the food industry provided us with a unique perspective and a wealth of experiences to draw from. We wanted to create a story that was entertaining but also had some value takeaway, and food was the perfect medium for this. After all, there's no better way to teach kids about sharing and empathy than by letting them dive into a deliciously messy adventure in the school lunchroom.

Frontlist: Can you tell us about any particular experiences or moments that inspired scenes or characters in the book?

Karan & Aditya: Our experiences in school, where we witnessed food fights and shared lunches with friends, seasoned our story with nostalgia and authenticity. It's like we put all our school day memories into a blender, mixed them with our entrepreneurial journeys, and poured out a smoothie of relatable characters and memorable scenes!

Frontlist: How do you envision parents and educators using this book to teach children about conflict resolution and empathy?

Karan & Aditya: Parents and educators can use "Food Fight" as a starting point for discussions on conflict resolution, empathy, and the importance of sharing. By reading the story together, they can help children understand the consequences of their actions and how kindness, generosity, and cooperation can lead to positive outcomes. The book also offers opportunities for role-playing and other interactive activities that can reinforce these lessons in a hands-on manner. Children typically enjoy learning through stories that are engaging, entertaining, and relatable. This funny, mischievous book about a food fight will tick all these boxes, and more!

Frontlist: How do you balance the educational goals of the book with its entertainment value and narrative flow?

Karan & Aditya: Balancing learning and entertainment is like making the perfect sandwich—you need a solid base of engaging narrative, layered with humor, memorable characters, and topped off with important life lessons. Our collaboration with Daffodil Lane Books, a publisher specializing in socially relevant children's stories, was the secret sauce that brought it all together!

Frontlist: Can you discuss the importance of diversity and representation in children's literature and how you incorporated those elements into the book?

Karan & Aditya: Diversity is the spice of life! We wanted to create a story that reflects the vibrant tapestry of an Indian classroom, ensuring every child feels seen, heard, and included. Our talented illustrator, Urvashi, masterfully brought this vision to life by depicting a diverse array of characters from various backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.

Frontlist: What are some of the challenges of writing for a young audience? Have you ever had to make difficult decisions about what to include or exclude from your work?

Karan & Aditya: Writing for kids is like trying to catch a butterfly—delightful but tricky! Approaching some ideas were a challenge, but we were determined to create a story that would tickle young minds and hearts. Luckily, our experience with storytelling and drawing from our own memories as children helped us capture the essence of childhood without having to make any tough decisions about what to include or exclude from the story.

Frontlist: How will the book resonate with children from different backgrounds and cultures?

Karan & Aditya: The emotions that something like a "Food Fight" brings is universally understood by most children - fun, excitement, chaos, and without giving too much of the story away, some life lessons! We believe that the story's themes of sharing, empathy, and conflict resolution will resonate with children from various backgrounds and cultures, and also provide an opportunity for children to learn about different cultural attitudes towards food and eating. For example, some children come from homes that may place more emphasis on sharing food and communal eating, while others may place more importance on table manners and etiquette.

Frontlist: Looking back on your experience as a first-time children’s book author, what was the most rewarding aspect of the process & what challenges did you face? What advice do you have for aspiring authors who want to write a children's book?

Karan & Aditya: The most rewarding aspect of the process was seeing the joy and excitement on children's faces as they read and engaged with the story. Observing them understand the message at the end of the story was incredibly fulfilling.
Our advice for aspiring children's book authors is to cook up stories with love, creativity, and a generous helping of fun. Keep the language simple and age-appropriate, and don't skimp on the humor! Collaborate with talented illustrators and publishers who share your passion for creating enchanting stories that engage and educate young readers.

Frontlist: Do you have any future plans for additional books or projects in the children's literature space?

Karan & Aditya: Absolutely! We're already planning more charming stories for children that promote important values and life lessons. Our next literary adventure will focus on sports and outdoor play, as we aim to inspire kids to swap screen time for sunshine and fresh air. "Food Fight" is just the first chapter in our ongoing collaboration with Daffodil Lane Books, so stay tuned for a delightful parade of entertaining and educational children's literature!