Author: Malala Yousafzai

Illustrator: Kerascoet

Publisher: Little Brown And Company

The book begins with a question every child has probably asked himself, “Do you believe in magic?”. The little girl in the book, Malala, is just like any other child, innocent, free wondering what she would do with a magic pencil – draw dresses, a building, a ball? Slowly she begins to question things around her, beyond her family. How things that were accessible to her like education was not so easily available to others. She now wonders how it would be to use a magic pencil to draw a better more peaceful and equitable world. Then, the access she and other girls had to education comes under threat, but Malala speaks up, standing for what she believes in, finding the magic in the pencil was her own words. The story of Malala is an often told one – she is the youngest person to receive a Nobel prize, But this story is unique in its rendering – capturing Malala’s journey from innocence to strength. It leaves us with her powerful quote “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” A great read for children learning about the world around them and for parents and educators having important conversations with children.