That’s Not My Name

It’s Mirha’s first day of school and she’s so excited. She’s looking forward to learning new things, playing gamed, and making new friends. But when her teacher and classmates mispronounce her name, she doesn’t feel excited any more. In fact, she feels extremely confused and disappointed and goes home wondering if she should find a new one. She tells Mama that she wants to change her name – maybe to one more ‘normal’ that the other children will find easier to pronounce.

Mama and Nani help Mirha to see how special and unique her name is, and she returns to school the next day determined to help her classmates say it correctly.

This debut picture book speaks out to all those who have struggled with accepting their name. It is a wonderful reminder for children and adults that names are a big part of our identity and it’s important that they are pronounced and used correctly and respectfully.

Syed’s artwork is vibrant and full of vibrant colours and she captures the young characters’ emotions brilliantly. Mirha’s classroom is very diverse, featuring children of different races and body shapes.