Farah does not like her nose.
Every mirror, every window she looks in, her face is reflected back and there is that nose!
Her Dadi Ama tells Farah her face is a map of where she comes from, she has her father’s curly hair, her mother’s brown eyes and Dadi Ama’s nose.
How can she be proud of her nose? Can she hide it with scarves or glasses, why doesn’t she have a nose the same as the other children in her class?
One day, Farah sees an advert for a photography exhibition about South Asian Heritage. She asks if she can go and once there, learns about the history of the women from South Asia who moved to far off countries and set up their new lives. She learns how these women formed communities, helped one another and worked hard for their families and to share their culture.
In each photo Farah sees women with the same nose as her but after a while, she begins to look beyond the noses and realises these proud women were activists, trailblazers and leaders.
On the way home, Farah asks Dadi Ami about their family history.
She understands so much more about her own culture now, when she looks in the mirror, what will she see?
‘Farah’s Nose’ is a fascinating story about South East Asian culture,
I like the way facts are cleverly integrated into the text as part of a photography exhibition.
It celebrates the inspirational and strong women who have built lives for themselves and their families in new countries.
Chaaya Prabhat’s illustrations enhance the theme of joy and celebration with their bright, bold colours.
When we look at others, we see a world of history and culture mapped on their faces and this book reminds us, there is a beauty in our differences.
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