About us
WHYBooks= We Hear You Books
So who are we?
Our vision is to promote a positive image of Pakistan through our publications and other services like writing, illustration, translation, publishing design and printing/binding solutions.
Our work includes 30+ projects with various clients since 2019.
We have extended our mission through virtual & on-site workshops, story camps and demos for children and adults.
You can reach us to book a storytelling session or send a query for our workshops through contact form or drop an email at
What we heard?
We heard a desperate cry for help and a dire need to highlight our people in picture books amongst a plethora of imported content. This void needs to be filled by introducing original characters to children through various media including books. Our children should feel proud of our rich culture, talented people and follow their footsteps instead of fictional characters and imported heroes.
Our Solution:
Our Heroes
Our mission is to change the definition of superhero by publishing a children’s picture book portraying a local changemaker as a superhero. We published our first book ‘Our Superhero Edhi Baba’ in 2019. Late Abdul Satar Edhi sahab as a superhero having power of a big heart was a head turner. Donation is not only a motivation here but it is displayed as an action as we share 50% of our proceedings with Edhi Foundation.
We must inculcate the habit of donation in our children whether it’s monetary, skill or blood donation. Another way to give back to the community is to buy locally produced items. Wearing local, eating local and reading local are just a few ways to support people who are trying to contribute to the development of our country. Let’s raise more Edhis…
Give like Edhi
Live like Edhi
and thousands of other Pakistani gems…
Interview With BBC URDU
Interview With SAMAA News
Current Readers
Books Published
Awards Received
Books Sold
Our Clients
Adding magic to books
Testimonials
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Maria Riaz, an innovative illustrator, and founder of WHY Books. I was mesmerized by the illustrations of Our Superhero Edhi Baba and sought Maria out to congratulate her. We have been friends since then, working on varied projects, and trying as hard as we can to bring unusual and stimulating books to Pakistan’s children. The books we have worked on together are: Bachay Kahan Hain, a four big book series on Nature for early learners, and coming soon; Chu chu aur Anya. The books we will work on in the future are endless…..
Maria, the Founder of WHY Books, possesses an extraordinary talent for illustration. Her beautiful illustrations for my books 'Changing Intelligence' and 'Redefining Success for Young People' surpassed all expectations. I am thoroughly impressed by her amazing ability to transform words into stunning visuals. Maria's attention to detail and creativity shine through in every illustration she creates. Her dedication to capturing the essence of each concept and character is unparalleled. Working with Maria was an absolute pleasure, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking exceptional illustration work.
Collaborating with Ms. Maria (WHY Books) has been an exceptional experience. We enlisted her talents to illustrate a storybook titled 'Dream Defenders' and to craft a story, 'Green in Quarantine,' for a project during the pandemic. Maria's creativity and flexibility in embracing the team's suggestions made me an ardent admirer of her work. She demonstrates excellence in her craft, meticulously attending to every detail that can impact the reader, whether it's in the choice of words, language usage, shapes, colors, or expressions. Maria's innate talent shines through, and it has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with WHY Books!
Maria Riaz CEO WHY Books is a Unique friend of ITA and the Pakistan Learning Festival A bond for reading, learning and publishing for children. Our first interaction was back in 2019 when we launched “Our Superhero Edhi Baba” in our Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) for children and teachers. We have been working on a number of projects since then. From co-publishing to writing, illustrating and designing books. She created our own story “Our literature festival” and we got to develop it as a celebration of a Decade of the Festival. “Mahol Sahelian” series is our most cherished project together on climate change through the eyes of adolescent girls as an inter-generational activism on climate change solutions. It has been approved by the government and has been at the center of action in many schools of Pakistan. Maria Riaz has wonderfully illustrated “A special garden” , a beautiful book on mental health and resilience. She also contributed to the Young Author Award (YAA) as a judge/panelist and mentor. She participated in Room to Read workshops for authors and illustrators to produce locally produced authentic books in Pakistan with us and produced a beautifully rendered book full of illustrations called “Jasoos Uqaab”, a dandy character which is too desi to handle.. Overall we share a strong bond together and a mission to bring smiles on children’s faces through picture books.
When I saw Maria's art style, I knew she had to be the one to illustrate my debut Urdu storybook about a cute girl's love for cats. At WHY Books, they knew exactly what I was looking for in my book...whimsical expressions, minute attention to detail and brightly colored fun illustrations! A customer's feedback about Maria & I having created a masterpiece is not far from reality. Thank you Maria, for giving me Mano.
Maria’s contributions span across a variety of initiatives within the Early Childhood Development Parenting Readiness Education Program. Firstly, Maria has demonstrated her creative prowess by designing a plethora of storybooks tailored specifically for children. Through her illustrations, she not only entertains but also educates, instilling a love for reading and storytelling from a young age. Her vibrant imagery serves as a gateway to imagination and learning, captivating the hearts and minds of children worldwide. In addition to her work in children's literature from the platform of WHY Books, Maria has played a pivotal role in developing parenting education modules. Leveraging her artistic talent and commitment to making information accessible, she has created resources aimed at promoting health literacy and empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being. Her visually engaging materials serve as invaluable tools for healthcare professionals in communicating complex concepts to patients in a clear and concise manner. Maria Riaz's contributions to the Early Childhood Development Parenting Readiness Education Program at Aga Khan University are truly commendable.
I would like to thank Maria, Founder of WHY Books Pakistan for her dedication and commitment to bringing my words to life, publishing through Turning Pages Foundation with her beautiful illustrations for my first book “Our Granted Dream” for my Son and about our journey. It was so empathetically received by Maria and depicted in the book, through the wonderful illustrations. Being a very personal journey to parenthood, I am and will always be grateful to Maria's attention to detail, sensitivity, and her creativity in bringing life to my thoughts and ideas and being spot on! I absolutely loved working with Maria and am looking forward to working with WHY books Pakistan again very soon! Many heartfelt thanks and gratitude always.
