Yali Books

Yali Books is an independent publisher of books with a focus on South Asian cultures. We invite you to join us on our adventure.

Yali Books dreams of giving children, particularly those of South Asian descent, a glimpse into the intricate culture, history and heritage of the region. Yali will be home to all kinds of strange, weird and wonderful books, starting with our first, Bye, Bye, Motabhai!. There will be sights and sounds, people and places from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. An

d tales from folklore, mythology and history, brought to life with eye-catching artwork. And as Yali Books grows, we will showcase other writers and artists who can open a window to South Asia, produce innovative boardgames and toys, and much, much more! You will have plenty of tales to tell your grandchildren, we promise!

03/18/2026

📣 COVER REVEAL: THE FIRE WALKER (Releasing Fall 2026)

Beautifully written by and illustrated by this book is now available for pre-order.

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What does a child do when they are thrust into the role of a caregiver for a parent?

Velan is worried about his father’s health. Lately, he struggles with even simple tasks. Today is the eighteenth day of the big festival, and his appa insists on participating in the grand fire-walking ceremony, the theemithi. Appa tries to reassure Velan that he can walk across the fiery coals, but Velan isn’t convinced. On the way to the temple, Velan wonders if Appa will be able to cross safely. What if he stumbles and hurts himself? At the theemithi, as Velan’s fears come true, a brave new fire walker emerges.

Set in a small Tamil fishing village in Sri Lanka, this picture book is a testament to the power of faith and love as a child copes with their parent’s chronic illness.

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We invite our Community Partners to order their free review copy. Visit us at SambasivanAndParikh.com if you are interested in joining the program.

02/26/2026

📸 Love seeing our creatives and books in the wild

Thank you for bringing and 's beautiful book to your community!

01/24/2026

Join us in congratulating author and illustrator for this wonderful review from 🎊

A special shoutout to Devika for the “phenomenal” artwork! We couldn’t agree more!

“. . . a sweet story about determination . . . Joglekar’s illustrations are phenomenal; the style is simple but the use of color shines, particularly the vibrant yellows and oranges of the performers’ costumes, which make them seem to leap off the page.“ —Kirkus Reviews

01/08/2026

Are you ready for our next picture book? 🔥

Sneak peek of the beautiful artwork of "The Fire Walker" words by , art by . Releasing this Spring 2026 at Yali Books.

[Windows to South Asia, Picture book, Fire walking, Udappu, Sri Lanka, Village life, book blogger, bookstagram]

01/06/2026

📣Our newest webinar and blog post are live!

This time, we’re exploring how the pioneering women of yakshagana are paving a path for the girls of today AND how you can too!

The blog post is at SambasivanAndParikh.com and the webinar is up on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel and monthly newsletter for exciting upcoming announcements.

[windows to south asia, kidlit, young adult, feminist, yakshagana, performing arts, empower youth, raising strong girls]

12/12/2025

Teachers, parents and changemakers, you are not going to want to miss this conversation 🔥💪🏾

Mahila Yakshagana meets STEM in a panel discussion where we discuss the invisible barriers girls face as they navigate interests and careers

Blog post is going up soon on how you can help shift the narrative and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel

LINK IN BIO

12/02/2025

We're particularly proud of these reviews because they truly reflect what we're trying to do through our work.

For it's not about publishing hundreds or even dozens of books a year. And it's certainly not about creating familiar, easy to grasp books that remind you of so many others.

For us, it's about amplifying incredible communities to inspire young minds and creating resources that spark meaningful, and often courageous, conversations.

The First Girl on Stage" and the pioneering women of Mahila Yakshagana are nothing short of that 🙌🏾

[Yakshagana, Mahila Yakshagana, pioneering women, kidslit, children's book, picture book, photo biography, South Asian]

10/24/2025

Did you feel the pressure to give up a passion or interest because it didn’t fit gendered expectations?

06/23/2025

Thank you for including RITU WEDS CHANDNI on your book list ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We are so proud to support this beautiful community in a small way and bring awareness to India's LGBTQ+ Community.

If you're curious to learn more about how this book is truly like no other, stay tuned for an upcoming webinar/podcast episode with author

03/27/2025

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: TUNGA

The First Girl on Stage: A Yakshagana Story by releases this Fall 2025 at Yali Books (imprint of )

03/11/2025

Thank you for sharing a bit of our story through your HerStory List for !

We are grateful for the opportunity we have to honor two incredible women in history through our titles, BRAVE WITH BEAUTY and LIONESS OF PUNJAB.

Address

Albany, NY

Website

http://yalibooks.com/

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