THIS unusual book is aimed at children but its single-page biographies of 60 amazing women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan will fascinate older readers too.

[[{"fid":"13840","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"1"}}]]Its stated intent is to give south Asian girls the chance to dream about lives for themselves that are massively different from the often limited ambitions of parents, families and their culture.

Among those featured are Jayaben Desai, leader of the heroic Grunwick strikers in the 1970s, prominent Asian suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh and Indian princess Noor Inayat Khan, parachuted into France to spy for Britain behind nazi lines in WWII.

As you would expect, some of today’s successful Asian women, such as prize-winning baker turned mental health champion Nadiya Hussain feature, along with actor, writer and comedian Meera Syal and Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy.

Yet it is the dozens of other and perhaps lesser-known women who make this book so interesting.

There are historic empresses and modern-day business entrepreneurs but of more benefit personally is learning about women like Lhakpa Sherpa, who climbed Everest twice — once when she was pregnant — or Reeta Loi, who in 2017 created the long-needed Gaysians network which offers Britain’s gay south Asian community help and support.

Kalpana Chawla, Nasa’s first Indian-born astronaut gets a look-in, as does Indian-born Pritam Kaur Hayre. A 55-year-old berry picker on a Canadian farm, she and the other, mostly Asian immigrant, workforce worked for slave wages in awful conditions.

When she protested, the boss threatened her with a gun. Despite speaking no English and having no formal education, Hayre took her employers to court and won. She went on to become vice-president of the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union.

Singers, scientists, transsexuals, poets, ethical business champions, environmentalists, lawyers, filmmakers and athletes make up an extraordinarily diverse list in a book that’s an important contribution to redressing the imbalance for young Asian girls by empowering them to break new ground for themselves and to inspire others in the process.

Equally important, Stories for South Asian Super Girls is an inspiration for young women from all races and from any cultural background.

An added bonus is that every inspiring life story is matched with a full-page illustration of the female hero concerned.

Ten superb but far too little-known south Asian female artists, using a vast variety of styles, make this one of the most beautiful and visually stimulating books I have seen for a long time.

Published by Kashi House, £12.99.