Surishtha Sehgal author page

Surishtha Sehgal biography

Surishtha Sehgal is an American children’s author and former university professor of psychology. She founded a nonprofit organisation supporting children’s education and promoting social responsibility among students. Her professional work has also included serving on the boards of universities and arts organisations.

Sehgal has co-written a series of children’s picture books with Kabir Sehgal, published primarily by Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Their first book, A Bucket of Blessings, was published in April 2014, illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong and featuring an afterword by Maya Angelou. Based on an Indian folktale, it follows a monkey searching for water during a drought. The book became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted for the stage by the Alliance Theatre.

Their subsequent picture books include The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk (2016), illustrated by Jess Golden, and Festival of Colors (2018), illustrated by Vashti Harrison. The latter introduces the Hindu spring festival of Holi through the experiences of two siblings preparing coloured powders from flowers. Both books were selected by the Georgia Center for the Book for its Books All Young Georgians Should Read programme.

Other collaborations include Thread of Love (2018), illustrated by Zara Gonzalez Hoang, which introduces the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan, and Mother Goose Goes to India (2022), which reimagines familiar nursery rhymes with Indian settings and cultural references.

Sehgal’s picture book It’s Diwali!, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan, was published by Beach Lane Books on 6 September 2022. Using a counting rhyme based on One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, it introduces young readers to Diwali traditions, including sweets, henna decorations and fireworks.

Her later publications include Bhangra Baby (2023), Seven Samosas: Counting at the Market (2024), illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong, and Hello, India!, illustrated by Ibrahim Shidiq and published by Beach Lane Books on 13 October 2026.