MALALA, A BRAVE GIRL FROM PAKISTAN / IQBAL, A BRAVE BOY FROM PAKISTAN

A master picture-book artist introduces quite young readers to two astonishing heroes of the world born in Pakistan.

Iqbal Masih was only 12 in 1995 when he was shot and killed while riding his bike. He’d spent several of his young years as a bonded slave in a carpet factory before he escaped to become an international advocate for the freedom of children. Malala Yousafzai began her public advocacy for the rights of girls to education before she was in her teens. Malala, who survived being shot by the Taliban gunman who boarded her school van, continues to use her voice for justice. Winter, in impressive command of the page with her spare text and calm, rich, digitally rendered art, offers this difficult material unapologetically. As she often does, she distills the stories to their essences, conveying with very few words the fearlessness and the hope wielded by these children. Iqbal’s and Malala’s stories are presented as two separate tales, back to back. In a poignant double-page spread at the middle, edge-to-edge art shows each child atop a mountain. Iqbal's kite string has just left his hand; his kite drifts away toward Malala. Malala's kite string is still in her hand, and her kite reaches toward Iqbal. No source notes or bibliography are offered; author’s notes on each child summarize the facts.

Brave and heartrending.