• Book cover of 'The Fire Walker' with Appa and Velan standing together with the temple in the background.
  • Title 'The Fire Walker' on a dark background with yellow text
  • coastal landscape with pastel colors, palm trees, and a sun.
  • Illustration of Appa and Velan in a room with text overlay.
  • Illustration of a family scene with Amma helping Appa. velan pushes his food away.
  • Illustration of Amma preparing food and a village scene with text.
  • Illustration of appa's eyes against a bed of hot coals and a silhouette figure walking across
  • Illustration of a family scene with a father, mother, and child in a room.
  • Illustration of a man and child walking by a lake with text overlay
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Sambasivan & Parikh | Yali Books

(PRE-ORDER) The Fire Walker

(PRE-ORDER) The Fire Walker

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Words By: Ainkaran Sivaaji | Art By: N. Dejeshwini

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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    Meet the Author

    Ainkaran Sivaaji is an artist, author and science industry professional. An alumnus of the University of Manchester, his interests span history, literature, spirituality, theatre, dance and music performance.

    A trained stage performer from the age of five, Ainkaran has been engaging national audiences since an award-winning performance at the Brent Festival of Music and Dance in 1994. His dynamic range as a performer-composer brings an authenticity and versatility to his stories. Ainkaran's new writing rests on hypotheses that his discoveries on ancient civilisations propose, which he hopes can help shape healthier hearts and minds.

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    Meet the Illustrator

    Dejeshwini spent her early days doodling in her school books and thus stepped into the world of art and imagination. Self-taught, Dejeshwini spends time observing the beauty and aesthetics of life and nature and fills her artwork with emotion and cheer.

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