A heart-warming story, Not Now, Noor! is a celebration of Muslim women and gently approaches the religious reasons for wearing a hijab in a light-hearted way for children. Next month, Abtaha Maqsood, the first woman to wear a Hijab while taking part in The Hundred, follows in their footsteps when she reads Not Now, Noor! by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani to mark South Asian Heritage Month. The heart-warming tale is about Noor, who is curious to find out why the women in her family wear headscarves. It’s the first of two stories Abtaha will read for CBeebies. Ireland has raised similar questions more explosively in plays such as Cyprus Avenue and Ulster American, but as Matthew and Ray accept the truth about themselves, Not Now makes for a sparky comedy about heritage and hope. So far so Shakespearean, except Harry Ward’s Ray, beyond being Matthew’s uncle, has nothing in common with Claudius. He is a painter and decorator with an invented love life and a better knowledge of Stephen King than of the classics. And his knowledge of Stephen King stretches to one book.

With games across both competitions set to take place in the biggest stadia in the country, and multiple matches also to be broadcast on the BBC, fans will have numerous chances to watch the women’s teams in action. Airing on Friday 9 June, the Sciver-Brunts will become the first LGBTQ+ couple to feature on the programme, and will read Find Your Happy by Emily Coxhead, a book all about what a wonderful thing it is to feel happy. With vibrant illustrations, the uplifting story follows a sloth who shows little ones what to do if they’re feeling sad or angry, frightened or shy. It’s the first of two stories to be read by the couple for CBeebies.Being non-binary has never been a problem for 11-year-old Jamie – until secondary school looms, and the only two options are the boys’ school or the girls’. Suddenly Jamie and their friends find themselves protesting from the rooftops. Will Jamie ever find the place they belong? A sensitive, moving 9+ story about fighting for acceptance and change. Noor is a curious little girl, her head is always full of questions. The biggest question on her mind is why her Ammu (mum) and the other women in her family wear a hijab (headscarf). Full of curiousity, Noor sets out to find her answer, but her family are all busy and have no time to answer this important question. Just as Noor is ready to give up on her quest, her Ammu arrives home and knows just the thing to say.

In 1849 the East India Company took over the Lahore empire and the boy king was forced to sign a treaty relinquishing the kingdom and the Koh-i-Noor. The way in which he was separated from his mother, isolated and bullied into doing so has left an open wound in the Indian psyche. The Koh-i-Noor represents the humiliation of colonial rule for many Indians to this day. Using a vibrant colour palette of reds, yellows and purples, the beautiful artwork is full of emotion and movement. Noor’s facial expressions, from excitement to dismay, are brilliantly funny and work well alongside the text.Abtaha says: “I absolutely loved reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story, it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before and I’m really excited to see it come to life. Both the stories I read are a great reminder that you can be whoever you want to be, no matter who you are, what religion you follow or what you choose to wear.” A window for many children into a family that is not like their own but also a mirror for children who struggle to find themselves on a bookshelf. About This Edition ISBN: