Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar: New for 2026, a hilarious, highly illustrated diary-format fiction series perfect for fans of TOM GATES and LOKI!

by Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Meet HARI KUMAR, superstar-in-the-making, in this laugh-out-loud doodle-packed diary series for 8+ readers.

‘Hari is my favourite type of character. A warm, witty and cleverly observed story’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki

‘Funny, fresh and relatable – Hari Kumar really is a superstar’ A. F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series

Hari 10 years old, 75% Indian, 25% French, and 100% going to be a superstar. All Hari needs to make it big is a lucky break – a chance to get his name out there. And when that arrives in the form of a film festival competition at school, it’s Hari’s chance to shine.

But life isn’t always like the movies. The new kid Hari thought would be his sidekick turns out to have the makings of a true villain, the crack team he’s assembled have minds of their own, and censorship (in the form of the Deputy Head Teacher) is looming. Can Hari keep things together and pull off an epic comeback, or will his film-making debut be cancelled before it’s even released…?

Packed full of friendship, doodles and draaaaama, this series is perfect for fans of TOM GATES and LOKI!

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2026

About the author

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is an award-winning British Indian author of both fiction and nonfiction.
Rashmi gave up her beloved job as a lawyer to spend more time stretching and squeezing words into stories. In 2018, she was selected for the Penguin Random House WriteNow mentoring program and started her writing career by signing with Puffin Books.
Rashmi loves learning about new things, writing, and uses her platform to be the author that she was missing in her childhood.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hari, the autistic/ADHD South Asian main protagonist is simply adorable, so funny and reminded me of many kids I’ve worked with in the past, as well as me empathising with his ADHD all or nothing traits. There’s a brilliant message about teamwork and friendship running through the whole story and lots of fun facts about South Asian food and culture.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and wonderfully illustrated by Mamta Singh⭐ Published by Harper Collins Children’s Books⭐

🎶 I absolutely devoured this book. There is so much to celebrate about it: it is rich in diversity, it really embraces being neurodivergent, it tackles bullying and gives wonderful family vibes.

🇮🇳 🇫🇷 Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar blends different cultures perfectly and I loved all of the cultural references and the helpful asides to explain them. I felt I learned a lot reading this book and who doesn’t love a bit of Bollywood?! 🎵

🧩 I think what this book really celebrates is the strategies and coping mechanisms different characters use to support Hari but also Hari has a lot of strategies himself. I have many children in Y6 who would read this book and relate to many of the behaviours. ADHD children are reprimanded up to 20,000 more times for their behaviours by the time they are 10, compared to neurotypical children. 😯 I think all educators should read this book.

💜 The ending was perfect (no spoilers) and I am waiting in anticipation for Hari and friends’ next adventure. Fantastic writing Rashmi 🙌🏽

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was so much fun! Hari and his friends are determined to win the film competition because all Hari wants is to be a Bollywood star (obv). The illustrations by added so much joy to this story. As a teacher, it was lovely to read a story about a kid who celebrates and talks about their AuDHD. My class are going to adore this!!