A father’s love shines in Brave Like Me, a local children’s book that teaches lessons of courage, standing up for one’s beliefs and honouring family.
South Africa (16 May 2025) – Zulaikha Patel has penned a book about growing up and learning to be brave. Through lessons taught by her father, she finds her voice and becomes the activist she is today. The children’s book is beautifully illustrated by South African artist Nicci Martin and depicts some of Zulaikha’s most cherished life lessons.
The quick but empowering read is the perfect addition to your little one’s library if you hope to teach them to lean on family, trust in their voice and fight for their beliefs. Available in English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Afrikaans and Zulaikha’s home language, isiNdebele, the book has the power to reach into many South African homes.
The true story is based on twenty-two-year-old Zulaikha Patel’s journey into activism at the age of 13 when she started a movement called Stop Racism at Pretoria High School for Girls because the rules at her high school included that black girls had to straighten their naturally curly hair. Her stance sparked a countrywide movement.
But before she could spark a national movement, she had to lean on her father, who helped her overcome her fears and her bullies.
This is the second book from the budding young author; her first, My Coily Crowny Hair, published in 2021 which is helping girls to learn to love their natural hair and themselves.
About Zulaikha and her activism journey
While studying for an undergraduate LLB degree at the University of South Africa, she started a non-profit organisation called Dare to Change to inspire youth to change the world around them. The non-profit is focused on three pillars: education, activism and literacy, with the latter the hope of setting up library corners at under-resourced schools in rural areas and townships.
Zulaikha has a number of awards under her belt, including Youngest on BBC 100 Women List (2016), Panache Women of Wonder Award (2021) and a Young Activists Summit laureate (2022), to name just a few.
Today, when she isn’t using her voice to empower little ones through literacy, she is speaking up for causes close to her heart.
If you would like to learn more about this book, visit its website here. It is also available at all major literary retailers and online.
Interested in more proudly South African books? You can find more of our book reviews here.
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