Iqbal Masih was a four-year-old boy in Pakistan in the 1980s when he went to work in a carpet factory, held in bondage because of a twelve-dollar loan his parents couldn’t repay. When he got older and realized he was being forced to work illegally, he began fighting, gaining his freedom and then speaking out on behalf of other children until he was shot and killed, at age twelve. Malala Yousafzai was a fifteen-year-old girl in Pakistan in 2012 when she was shot by the Taliban for advocating for education for girls. She survived, and has become even more outspoken. Jeanette Winter’s spare and moving account of these two inspiring young people a generation apart tells each story separately, starting from either end of the book (which must be flipped over and around halfway through). But the two meet in the middle with a wordless page spread showing both of them. Malala is holding onto the string of a kite, and Iqbal looks to have just let go of one. (Ages 7–10)

Meet two heroes of Pakistan who stood up for the rights to freedom and education in these inspirational nonfiction tales from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter. Two stories of bravery in one beautiful book—including the story of Malala Yousafzai, a winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize!

One country: Pakistan. Two children: Iqbal Masih and Malala Yousafzai. Each was unafraid to speak out. He, against inhumane child slavery in the carpet trade. She, for the right of girls to attend school. Both were shot by those who disagreed with them—he in 1995, she in 2012. Iqbal was killed instantly; Malala miraculously survived and continues to speak out around the world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work.

The stories of these two courageous children whose bravery transcended their youth, beautifully written and illustrated by celebrated author Jeanette Winter, are an inspiration to all.