This biography of
Noor Inayat Khan relates the story of an extraordinarily brave woman, whose story is as inspiring as it is beautiful. She was a pacifist because of her religious beliefs (Sufi Muslim), and opposed to violence of any sort.
However, during the Second World War, she felt it was wrong to stay neutral, so she enlisted. However, she requested that she not be put in a position where she'd be responsible for the death of another person. This meant occupying the most dangerous posts, and putting her own life at risk.
She was described as very nervous, clumsy, quiet, and very shy. Her superiors, after the interview, commented that she was not 'overburdened with brains'. (Patriarchy/Racism/Sexism much?) And during her interview, when asked by the British Officers what she intended to do after the Second World War, she said that she planned to fight for Indian Independence. That could not have scored her any points!
Nevertheless, she was the first female wireless operator sent to Occupied France from Britain during the Second World War, and she was MARVELLOUS! Few people lasted in that role for more than few weeks because they were caught and executed. She lasted five whole months, and because she kept disguising and changing place every day, hiding wires in clotheslines, rolling her equipment within bundles of twigs etc. Even when she was caught, it was only because she was betrayed. But this woman, labelled inept and inadequate, did what no one else could despite being continuously told that she would never be able to.
Sadly, she was betrayed, caught and tortured for information but she gave nothing away. And when executed, she died shouting 'Liberty'. Reading of people like this gives such a sense of hope. If we are part of a world which produces people like this, surely there's hope for humanity.
Perfect for
- Babies, Toddlers, Children aged 0 to 7 years
- Birthday Presents, Christmas Presents, Presents for 'kids who have everything'
- Teaching Diversity and Inclusion by challenging traditional norms of what a hero looks like
- Anyone who likes rhyming books and needs a dose of hope
Why Children love the book- Full Colour Illustrations
- 300 words of rhyming verse in Dyslexia-friendly text
- The Activity and Colouring Pages
- Cut-and-paste activity to make little paper houses
- The Positive Affirmation at the end!
Why Parents and Teachers love the book- Features an inspiring Heroine to encourage little ones
- Historical aspect of the story
- Glossary explaining all the 'big' words
- Heartwarming bonding activity and a starting point for deeper discussions about World Issues
- Free Teaching Resources for the book at www.ramyajulian.com
Praise for 'Noor Inayat Khan - A Biography in Rhyme' and the Wonderful World Book Series
"This is such a beautiful inspiring book! I didn't know who this woman was and was amazed at her accomplishments! It is inspiring and children will love the rhyme! Simple enough to understand and conveys the message perfectly. Absolutely recommend!" - Amazon Customer
"This illustrated biography of Noor Inayat Khan is a great read for children who enjoy learning about history. The book highlights Noor's pacifist beliefs and her decision to enlist in the Second World War, despite her opposition to violence. The book is presented in an engaging way with full-color illustrations. The positive affirmation and activity pages make this book an interactive and fun learning experience for children." - Amazon Customer
