Mom’s Choice Awards is excited to announce another post in our interview series where we chat with the inventors, designers, publishers, and others behind some of our favorite family-friendly products.

Hello, Mom’s Choice readers! Thank you for joining us for another portion of our interview series. For this interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Shreya Gupta, the 10-year-old author of the MCA award-winning book, Flamingo Feet! Flamingo Feet is a story about a little dancer named Aria who follows her passions despite not having “the perfect feet.” Flamingo Feet is described as a tale of gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness! Keep reading to find out more about Shreya Gupta and her motivating story!

MCA: Hi Shreya, congratulations on your first Mom’s Choice Award! Flamingo Feet is such an inspiring story, especially for little girls and boys who feel discouraged from trying something because they don’t fit a certain mold. Can we start this interview by finding out a little bit about your background?

“Flamingo Feet” author Shreya Gupta

Shreya: My name is Shreya Gupta and I’m 10 years old. In my spare time, I enjoy raising money for various charities that help young girls access education in third-world countries. My goal is to inspire young girls around the world to always chase their dreams, no matter what. In my spare time, I enjoy sketching, reading, and writing stories. I also take jazz dancing lessons which inspired me to write Flamingo Feet, which is about a girl’s dream to jazz dance.

MCA: Becoming an award-winning author by 10 years old is no small feat! What inspired your path to becoming a writer?

Shreya: About a year and a half ago, I took a trip to India with my parents and family. There were a lot of kids who were coming up to me selling pens for money so they could get food. This made me very sad that many kids did not have access to basic needs like food and clothing. I wanted to do something to help out. My grandfather runs a charity that helps girls access education in third world countries like India. I decided this was a great opportunity to get involved with the charity and write a book to raise money for it.

MCA: Wow, that’s quite an inspiring path! Travel is a great way to open one’s eyes, mind, and heart to those who are less fortunate. The value of gratitude and to treasure life’s everyday affordances can also be taught by traveling and seeing cultures that are different from our own. Was your trip to India the inspiration for writing Flamingo Feet?

Shreya: I wanted to help children access education. I also wanted to write a book that inspires kids to always chase their dreams, no matter what. The book is about a young girl named Aria who has to overcome bullying. I wanted to write a book about this topic as I feel it’s a very important issue in today’s world.

MCA: Bullying is a very important issue that needs to constantly be addressed in today’s world. What are some of the key lessons found in Flamingo Feet?

Shreya: Some key lessons in Flamingo Feet is that you should always have confidence, no matter what! Also, you should always chase your dreams – it doesn’t matter what other people say.

MCA: What kind of response from readers have you received?

Illustration of Aria

Shreya: Both children and adults love my book. I feel so honored that I have had the privilege to be interviewed on CTV National News and Anokhi Uncensored Live. My message has already reached so many kids around the world!

MCA: I read that proceeds from Flamingo Feet go to a charity to help girls in third world countries access education. Tell us more about this!

Shreya: Any money I make from the proceeds will be going the charity called “Positive and Progressive Educational Support Canada.” It is run by my grandfather, Ray Gupta. The charity helps girls in India access education, food, and other resources that they wouldn’t normally have access to.

MCA: If you could ensure readers of your book walk away with one main lesson, what would it be?

Shreya: Always believe in yourself! Never give up on your dreams & shoot for the stars!

MCA: Thank you for that message, Shreya! We expect to be seeing a lot more great things from you in the future!

You can learn more about Shreya Gupta and her award-winning book, Flamingo Feet by visiting her MCA Shop pages.