Who's Afraid of the Giant Wheel? Author: Zainab Sulaiman Publisher: Penguinsters
In Buddhism, a wheel symbolizes the cycle of existence. Not entirely sure of what the author had in mind, but the only way I can relate to Noorie’s giant wheel is this. Who’s Afraid of the Giant Wheel?, a rhetorical in itself, is a bittersweet story of a 9-year-old Noorie who has opposite personalities in school and at home. Peer pressure plays the devil in her life and she succumbs to the inadequacy that her mind perpetuates into her being.
While Noorie is assertive, demanding and boisterous in school, she is submissive to her friend, Tina, back home. In a constant desire to prove herself before Tina, Noorie’s life is a spiral of highs and lows and in one such instance, she realizes how being true to herself and not caring about what the world has to say makes a difference. With her grandmother by her side, wrapping her world in the warmest smile, Noorie is definitely not afraid of life- whether it’s a rollercoaster or a giant wheel!
Written passionately, this story is breezy and very relatable because we all want to prove our worth. Noorie is likeable and readers might end up wanting to read more of her adventures. She’s honest and spontaneous. The characters are all quite impactful and so is the writing. It’s crisp yet enjoyable.
Best wishes to the author!
Buy the book from here: Amazon