How To Be Extraordinary

by Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Could you be EXTRAORDINARY? This book will inspire you with the real-life stories of extraordinary people, showcasing a total variety of personalities and talents. Whoever you are, and whoever you want to be, read about the extraordinary stories of these 15 people, and decide how YOU will be extraordinary too! From around the world and throughout history, discover unsung heroes - and some well-known faces - brought to life with astonishing story-telling and illustration. Meet an artist, scientist, medic, environmentalist, musician, activist, writer, politician, and even a spy . . . above all, discover that there are MANY ways to be extraordinary and to make a real difference in the world. Featuring the real-life stories Aeham Ahmad, David Attenborough, Mo Farah, Keiko Fukuda, Stephen Hawking, Frida Kahlo, Abdul Kalam, Judith Kerr, Wangari Maathai, Nelson Mandela, David Nott, Michelle Obama, Krystyna Skarbek, Alan Turing, Sau Lan Wu

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2019

About the author

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is an award-winning British Indian author of both fiction and nonfiction.
Rashmi gave up her beloved job as a lawyer to spend more time stretching and squeezing words into stories. In 2018, she was selected for the Penguin Random House WriteNow mentoring program and started her writing career by signing with Puffin Books.
Rashmi loves learning about new things, writing, and uses her platform to be the author that she was missing in her childhood.

Reviews

[Emma Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children are ten and six and they can both find a myriad of things about this book to enjoy - and return to frequently. Featuring a wonderfully diverse array of Extraordinary people, they are inspired and entertained. And my youngest now believes he can run as fast as Mo!

[Lucy Cuthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot state strongly enough how brilliant this book is - it's a picture book, so perfect for kids 3-8, and up to be honest, but I got so much from it as an adult too. I read it with kids aged 5/6 and they adored it. Each page tells the story of an extraordinary person who overcame the odds to make a positive difference in the world. It is so engaging and tackles some absolutely huge topics without ever feeling overwhelming or confusing - for example the holocaust and apartheid - and allows for a conversation about these subjects, framing everything with the incredibly empowering stories of the people who did something good out of these terrible situations. We have read it again and again. Simply brilliant.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great non-fiction picture book for older children 5-7. There are 15 true stories of incredible humans, each double-page detailing information about what they have achieved. Some are very well known, like David Attenborough and Mo Farah, and some are not so well known in the UK, which is also great to show.

A good range of personalities and what they have done/do- Artists, environmentalist activists, mathematicians. It is important to show ambition and a small child what is possible.

Well written by Rashmi, and beautifully detailed and illustrated by Annabel Tempest.

[Laura Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of extraordinary people, reminding us and our pupils that these people were once just like us. An important text to share with pupils

[Alice Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 double-page spreads about forgotten or famous heroes from around the world who overcame difficulties and made a difference. Would be fabulous for tutorials or interventions! KS2/3

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive array of accessible bios with charming illustrations.