Nationwide — Meet Omar Bala, his son Khalil, and his daughter Aniya, an African American family from Oakland, California, that runs a publishing company called BooksByBalas. It initially began as a father/son author and illustrator duo created by Omar and Khalil; however, the duo quickly became a trio once Aniya Bala joined the two, and became an author at six years old. Aniya collaborated with her older brother Khalil Bala and published two books titled, I Love Myself and ABCs for Babies.Khalil begin drawing SpongeBob at three years old, then he quickly transitioned into drawing animals. Khalil always displayed a keen interest in drawing, so his father Omar, decided to create a book answering an age-old tale titled, Why Dogs Chase Cats.
From there, the duo expanded their catalog publishing three books within a year and a half. Including, Why Dogs Chase Cats, The Lost Baby Spinosaurus, and The Big Friendly Dragon. Why Dogs Chase Cats is an African American folklore about a dog and cat devising a plan to enter an exclusive horned-animal party, but the plan backfires after the cat fails to follow the agreement. The Lost Baby Spinosaurus tells the story of a lost dinosaur in search of his parents. Along the way, he encounters many dinosaurs to see if they are Spinosaurus. The Big Friendly Dragon is a story about Bradley, the dragon who helps the people in town despite their initial fear of him. The story teaches acceptance as the town’s perception changes once they get to know Bradley and his kind heart.
Aniya’s interest was sparked by observing her father and brother at local vending events, where she would tell people, “I’m the future author.” One day, Aniya brought home a project from a school depicting the cover of a book titled, I Love Myself. And that’s when Omar got to work. “I initially was going to write the book, I Love Myself, Omar states. “But it was my daughter’s idea, so I decided Aniya should write it,” Omar concludes. I Love Myself promotes a positive body image and self-esteem in young readers.
“BooksByBalas is teaching my kids financial lessons in entrepreneurship, savings, investments, and most importantly making memories that last forever,” Omar mentions. To date, BooksByBalas has published 9 books, and they are currently working on their 10th title, Daddy and Baby Go to the Zoo.
For purchasing information and updates, visit the official website BooksbyBalas.com and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @BooksbyBalas
For press inquiries, contact Omar Bala at booksbybalas@gmail.com