Japan
The World's Poorest President Speaks Out
By Yoshimi Kusaba (Editor), Andrew Wong (Translator), Gaku Nakagawa (Illustrator)
The World’s Poorest President Speaks Out. Edited by Yoshimi Kusaba. Translated by Andrew Wong. Illustrated by Gaku Nakagawa. Enchanted Lions Books, 2020. Originally published as 世界でいちばん貧しい大統領のスピーチ (Sekai De Ichiban Mazushi Daitoryo No Speech) in Japanese by Choubunsha Publishing, Co. Ltd., in Tokyo, in 2014. ISBN 9781592702893. 40 p. (Ages 5-10). Picture book.
Based on Uruguay president José Mujica's 2012 speech to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Thought-provoking and a good introduction to discussions on poverty, social justice, and having enough. Worlds of Words recommended book, April 2021. [all]
Africa South of the Sahara
South Africa
Small Mercies
By Bridget Krone, Karen Vermeulen (Illustrator)
Small Mercies. Bridget Krone. Illustrated by Karen Vermeulen. Catalyst Press, 2020. Subsequently published by Walker Books, London, in 2020. ISBN: 9781946395160. 162 p. (Ages 8-12). Fiction.
Mercy lives with her two elderly foster aunts in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, in a house that is falling apart at the seams and being eyed by a developer. After one of her classmates frames her for stealing the school’s raffle money, she meets Mr. Singh, who teaches her about how Gandhi stood up for what he believed in and how she needs to do the same. A 2022 Skipping Stones Honor Award recipient, a 2021 USBBY Outstanding International Books List title, and named a Best Middle-Grade Book of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews. [gd]