Ayesha's Rainbow facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Rabina Khan |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Malik Al Nasir |
| Cover artist | Abdul Azim |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English, Bengali |
| Genre | Children's literature, fiction |
| Publisher | Fore-Word Press |
|
Publication date
|
15 September 2006 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 404 |
| ISBN | 978-0954886721 |
Ayesha's Rainbow is a children's novel from 2006. It was written by Rabina Khan. The book tells the story of a young girl from Bangladesh. She becomes friends with an elderly white neighbor. Their friendship grows even when there are increasing unfriendly attitudes around them.
Contents
The Story of Ayesha's Rainbow
Moving to a New Home
The Ali family, who are from Bangladesh, move into a flat in London's East End. Their new neighbor is an older white lady named Mrs. Peters. The flat used to belong to Mrs. Peters' friend, Vera, who recently passed away. Mrs. Peters has lived in the East End her whole life. She feels lonely and doesn't like changes. She finds it hard to accept people from different cultures.
Mrs. Peters feels very lonely lately. But she can't bring herself to greet her new neighbors. She has never been close friends with anyone who isn't white. The Ali family has also had bad experiences with white neighbors in the past.
An Unlikely Friendship
Ayesha, the Ali family's seven-year-old daughter, notices a small smile from Mrs. Peters when they first move in. Even though Mrs. Peters is at first unwilling to talk, Ayesha wins her over. An unexpected friendship starts to grow between them.
Through Ayesha, the two families begin to learn about each other. They clear up misunderstandings. They realize they share many common ideas. Soon, Mrs. Peters is also talking with the rest of the Ali family. This brings their two very different families together. It helps them cross religious, cultural, and racial barriers.
Family Differences
The Ali family includes Yusuf, the oldest son, who is studying to become a doctor. There's also Hamzra, who plans to make a lot of money from the stock market. Shazia is Ayesha's older sister, who likes to argue.
Mrs. Peters also has four adult children. They are Vivien, Susan, David, and Graham. Mrs. Peters is eager to show off her new friends to Vivien. Vivien has the most open-minded views and loves to travel the world. Susan and David are unsure about their mother's new neighbors. However, her youngest son, Graham, is interested in joining a group with unfair views about people from different backgrounds. His mother had never stopped him from having these views until now. The Peters family is divided in how they feel about their mother's new friends.
A Community Challenge
Later in the story, Mrs. Peters faces a difficult situation in her home. This event causes a wave of strong feelings. It affects both families and the rest of the community around them.
