Who is Fauja Singh?
Someone who started as a weakling in childhood, learning to walk only when he was 5 years old, but who went on to become the oldest person to complete a marathon. He broke many records in the process – including, repeatedly, his own. Finally, he became the first 100-year old to run a marathon.
Here is an inspirational story for everyone, whether children or adults – provided the adults haven’t deliberately set their inner child behind them! There are lessons of perseverence, of enjoying the everyday, of how to cope with disadvantage and racism, of the importance of self-acceptance and inner confidence, and so on.
This book is ostensibly intended for 4-8 year olds, and is fully illustrated by the Sikh artist, Baljinder Kaur, who not only communicates so very sensitively the emotions on the faces of the characters, but also has an unfailing eye for telling details of life in Punjab, as well as in the UK – where Fauja Singh came to live, following his family, at the age of 81. That is also where he discovered that people could run just for the fun of it, and where he decided to join the fun – with the result that he became, without initially setting out to do so, both accomplished and famous.
The story is lovingly told, with appropriate artlessness – that is nevertheless very skilled. No wonder the book was picked up by Penguin.
It has deservedly become a best-seller, and we are happy to feature it here as our Book of the Month.
To hear the author read the entire book, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYZy_3qN7s4
Purchase Fauja Singh Keeps Going Here.
