Reycraft Books Takes Readers on Another Creature Quest in Soraya & the Yeti
The latest book in the Soraya series puts the focus on friendship and family in a fun-filled adventure.
New Rochelle, NY, Oct. 31, 2022—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books continues the popular Soraya series with the latest installment, Soraya & the Yeti, written by Salima Alikhan with illustrations by Atieh Sohrabi and Jennifer Naalchigar. The book, published in hardcover on September 30, 2022, is the third adventure featuring the intrepid, comic-book-loving fourth-grader Soraya, following 2020’s Soraya & the Mermaid and 2021’s Soraya & the Dragon, and brings back familiar characters and relationships while introducing new situations—and a new creature for Soraya to encounter.
As the story begins, Soraya is relishing the fact that she has formed a friendship with classmates Naomi and Christoff, having shared an adventure with them in Soraya & the Dragon. She can hardly believe that they seem to like hanging out with her. But while they are together on a ski trip with their fourth-grade class, Soraya discovers another magical creature in danger—the legendary Yeti. Now she wonders whether her new friends will stick by her, and whether she can find the courage to open up to her mother, who is chaperoning the trip and not inclined to believe Soraya’s wild tale. Soraya can’t help but also wonder what her comic-book hero, Nimbla Moony, would do in this situation.
“The idea of this ski mountain being something of a magic passageway to a world that Yetis inhabit alongside our own appealed to me,” Alikhan said, explaining what inspired the new story. “I also like that Basil, the Yeti that Soraya meets, has a peace-loving soul and just wants to write poetry, despite his parents’ expectations that he follow in their monstrous footsteps.”
Like its predecessors, Soraya & the Yeti features a mix of crisp, vivid prose; bright, colorful full-page illustrations; and appealing, comic-style storytelling that is sure to delight both returning and new readers. Alikhan said that one of her main goals in writing the Soraya books is to make sure the young characters are as relatable and realistic as possible. “When I was reading books as I was growing up, I couldn’t bear the characters that seemed two-dimensional or perfect or Pollyanna-ish—kids that always had an unnaturally wise and measured response to things,” she explained. “When I became a writer, I knew I was never going to write a character that felt like no matter what, they’d always make the right decision.”
Alikhan added that her characters are not immune to personal issues like insecurity and social anxiety, though some are fully comfortable in their own skin, quirks and all, and happily march to the beat of their own drum.
“One of the things I wanted Soraya to realize in the books: Just be you, you’re fine as you are,” she said. “Soraya has developed this complex that she doesn’t have friends because she’s odd, but it’s in fact because she isolates herself from people. She’s no odder than several of her classmates—it’s just that they’re okay with who they are, and that’s possible for her too. I want kids to understand that there are people out there like them, and that they will find them.”
Soraya & the Yeti shows that Soraya has made some progress when it comes to having friends. “We see that Christoff and Naomi have earned Soraya’s trust,” Alikhan revealed, “and that she’s learning to let go and include others, which is nice.”
Alikhan described her experience writing Soraya & the Yeti as “a lot of fun” and is currently writing the fourth book in the series, Soraya & the Loch Ness Monster, which will be published by Reycraft Books in 2024.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Salima Alikhan is a writer and illustrator now based in Cambridge, England. Back when she lived in the States, she was a college English and creative writing professor. And even further back, when she was a child and went on school field trips, she liked to imagine what sorts of creatures might be lurking in some of those fun places. She wrote stories and drew pictures about those creatures, and loves that she still gets to do that.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Atieh Sohrabi was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, and currently lives in New York City with her family. She started her career in industrial design before switching to a new path in illustration. Her first illustrated book, published in 2002, received first prize in the 5th Tehran International Biennale Illustration. Since then, her books have appeared in exhibitions and museums around the world and have won numerous international awards.
Jennifer Naalchigar is an illustrator based in Hertfordshire, England. She has a love for quirky characters and funny stories and enjoys experimenting with digital brushes. Jen can often be found doodling with her tablet in her local coffee shop. She also enjoys reading picture books to her daughter. She works in children’s and educational publishing.
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.