Review: Malala Yousafzai (Little People, Big Dreams)
Vegara, Maria Isabel Sanchez. Malala Yousafzai. Illus by Manal Mirza, 2021. 32p. Quarto /Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, $15.99 (9780711259041). Gr K-3.
This addition to the Little People, Big Dreams biography series, explores the life of Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel laureate and activist for female education. The narrative describes Malala’s childhood growing up in the Swat valley area of Pakistan and her eagerness for education. But when the Taliban regime takes control of the region, girls are suddenly banned from going to school. Malala and her friends take a stand for their right to education. She appeals to BBC to raise awareness and is subsequently targeted and shot by the Taliban in retaliation. After her recovery, 
Malala grows louder, stronger, and more determined to advocate for girls’ and children’s rights to education through her foundation. She works with other activists from Pakistan, Syria, and Nigeria. Readers will take away a sense of Malala’s resilience, pathway to activism, bravery, and hope for change.
Mirza’s illustrations are vibrant with bold tones, regional patterns, and colorful fabrics. Apart from wardrobe differences and skin tones, characters have similar-looking features.
Malala’s shooting is worded simply, honestly, and not glossed over for young readers. Adults may choose to guide discussions on gun violence and the suppression of women, civil rights, and certain activities banned by the Taliban. As Malala meets people from across the globe, these characters are represented in one spread by differences in skin tone and clothing to show a diversity in race and culture. One character has a bindi, one is wearing a kente-like print shirt and kufi, one is wearing athawb/kandura/dishdasha, and a ghutra head covering.
Illustrations seem to be taken from actual media photographs of Malala and her family, but do not always match the text. In one spread text reads that Malala is shot and badly injured and wakes up in the hospital, but the illustrations choose to show a later time without any signs of injury.
One inaccuracy occurs in the spread showing a classroom, where the blackboard has a sentence written in Urdu (one of the languages spoken in Pakistan). The English translation reads “stop [being] scared of the people” but the Urdu word for “scared” is spelled incorrectly. Still, this inclusion, albeit with spelling errors, is an opportunity to teach that language script is multidirectional, with Urdu and other languages written from right to left.
Illustrated snapshots of Malala’s rise to fame, awards, other accolades, and work with other activists across the globe could have been improved with more explanation of real-life photographs. One illustration appears to be based on a photograph of Malala with indigenous Brazilian girls in traditional clothing, celebrating Malala’s 21st birthday, but is embellished, adding more people in the illustration. 
Backmatter includes a timeline, photographs, and additional resources for the reader.
This biography is a solid introductory primer on Malala with the possibility to open further conversations with young readers and expand their world view. At the same time, it is important that if an adult is facilitating discussions with a young reader, they are aware of the dynamics and history of regional conflicts when answering questions. While I have appreciation for the text and illustrations, as a Pakistani, I am concerned about the simplification of culture and traditions of one of the most beautiful regions of the world. Swat has a rich cultural heritage which was marred in 2007 by the rise of the Taliban and their ouster by the Pakistani military. I hope that this book, and others on Malala, spark an interest in not just Malala’s life and activism, but in the rich culture and history of the region as well.
Thank you to Quarto/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Netgalley for providing digital access to this book. Publication date for this title was March 16, 2021.
