The Fire Walker (Fall 2025)

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

Velan is worried about his appa. Today is the eighteenth day of the big festival at the temple and his father insists on participating in the grand fire-walking ceremony, the theemithi. Appa tries to reassure Velan about his health but Velan has noticed how he struggles lately with simple tasks. Will Appa be able to get across the fiery hot coals safely? What if he stumbles and hurts himself? At the theemithi, as Velan rushes to help his appa, he learns the true meaning behind the ceremony and what it really takes to become a fire walker.

Set in a Tamil fishing village in Sri Lanka, this gentle picture book follows a child thrust into the role of a caregiver for a parent and is a testament to the power of faith and love. (Picture Book, Fall 2025)