Malalas Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai

Malalas Magic Pencil Reviews

• 
  Dave Schaafsma

  Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #12 of 2017.
  
  "I knew then that if I had the magic pencil, I would use it to draw a better world."
  
  Tara: 4.5 stars. Very sweet and moving.
  
  Harry (12): 5 stars. Sad, with everything people went through and what they still go through today.
  
  Hank (11): 5 stars. Just amazing!
  
  Lyra (10): 5 stars. Beautiful and inspiring story. Boys and girls should have the same rights. I loved the beautiful paintings.
  
  Jenn (adult family friend): 5 stars. Inspiring story and beautiful drawings.
  
  Dave: 4 stars (but here is an instance in which the collective view brings the overall score up to 5). Pakistani, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at 14, writes of the importance of children's access to education, gender equality, and the power of the imagination in changing the world. "Malala will live free as a bird."
• 
  Calista

  Shaka Laka Boom Boom
  
  A story of strength. Malala is famous for her story of the love of learning and school in a country girls weren’t allowed to learn. This story glosses over the politics and the horrors that she most likely faced. It is still powerful, but it’s a very safe story. You don’t sense the real danger she was in. I enjoy the connection that is made between Malala’s pencil and writing to the world and the magic pencil from the TV show she loved ‘Shaka laka Boom Boom’. What a great name!
  
  I can’t imagine the courage she needed to do this. It’s a tough part of the world to understand, at least for me. I’m thankful that Malala is alive and well and got her message across. Our world needs more people like her.
  
  I wish my nephew could appreciate stories like this. He is so not interested. He wants humor and fantasy of some kind. I hope, even though he doesn’t like these stories he might take something from them. He didn’t like this story and gave this 1 star. I knew it was a long shot going in.
• 
  Archit

  Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Book.
  
  Magic Pencil is a very special tool that was showcased in a tv serial during 2000-2004 in India. There was a boy who used to draw in his sketch book and it would come to life.
  
  Reading her book was the reminder of those childhood days.
• 
  Marie

  This picture book details Malala’s childhood in Pakistan. It describes the poverty, the reasons some children might not go to school – needing to help make money for food or perhaps parental beliefs that only boys go to school as girls should stay home and cook and clean. The “men with guns” come into their city and make it unlawful for girls to go to school. Despite this, Malala continues her education and writes and speaks out about her belief that everyone deserves education. The Taliban try to silence her but they fail. There are many parts of this book that parents are able to go into more detail with their children or simply leave it at that if they feel the truth may scare their children. This is a wonderful book about an amazing young woman and an excellent story for young children to be familiar with. This book can be a great jumping off point for much further discussion and conversation about certain issues. This is a book that should be in classrooms everywhere!
• 
  Hilary

  This story begins with Malala's life in Pakistan, how she can go to school but notices other children can't. The story reflects on Malala's dreams and hopes for change, and relates Malala's Life so far in a way that shows what's been happening but is not disturbing for young readers, although the pivotal part of the story where Malala is shot is so subtle my daughter who is 12 completely missed it and asked me why that part was left out. There's a nice page written by Malala at the back and an information page and photo's too, we were inspired by this to find out more about Malala and found several interesting website pages aimed at children that gave us some interesting facts and information about Malala's life and the situation that lead to her fame.
• 
  Manybooks

  Malala's Magic Pencil is the true story of Malala Yousafzai (both her life and also her personal dreams, her wishes and aspirations) simply, sweetly, age appropriately shown but still penned in her own words (and with age appropriate I mean to say that Malala's Magic Pencil is specifically geared to younger children, to the aptly named picture book crowd). And while this book, while Malala's Magic Pencil therefore does not (and in my humble opinion very much thankfully and fortunately) in any overt manner depict and present the specifics of how she was attacked by the Taliban, nevertheless the inherent dangers faced by Malala (and her family) from the Taliban always do come through both realistically and palpably (but also the undeniable fact and truth of how fortunate Malala has actually been in many ways with regard to her family and that in particular her school principal father has always insisted on a good education for ALL of his children, and thus that the dangers emanating from the Taliban are truly and really for all intents and purposes not nearly as problematic, not in any fashion as inherently threatening as the sad and woeful lack of education, the dearth of opportunities for many children in Pakistan and similar such countries, but especially pertaining to girls and women).
  
  Now I have to admit that I was originally a wee bit leery of reading Malala's Magic Pencil, as I was somewhat worried that the issues and dangers faced (and endured) by Malala Yousafzai (the threats and the dangers she has had to face because of her outspokenness, her defiance of the Taliban and their decrees of no education for women and girls) would be rather trivialised in a picture book clearly meant for the very young. However appreciatively, in my humble opinion, this has most definitely not been the case with Malala's Magic Pencil and I have most definitely found Malala's narrative utterly charming and delightful (especially since as a child, during the height of the Cold War with its nuclear arms threats, I also used to dream like Malala of having a magic pencil on hand with which to erase pan global issues and societal problems such as poverty, war and gender stratification and then draw, create a less threatening, more just, more livable society).
  
  And really, truly, Malala's Magic Pencil does indeed gracefully, gently and beautifully (accompanied by colourfully expressive, tenderly personalised, albeit for and to my aesthetic tastes at times trifle to cartoon like illustrations) absolutely and poignantly depict both the importance of education for everyone and also (most essentially) that while Malala has of course always been much loved and supported by her family, and by in particular her father, that her thoughts, her philosophy, that her wishes and desires for education (as well as her attitudes against poverty, gender inequality and war) are clearly depicted as being her OWN and not just her mimicking and repeating her father's ideals and considerations, not to mention that as already alluded to above, the dangers Malala has faced (including her being shot, the attempt of the Taliban to permanently silence her), whilst obviously and for good reasons not meticulously described in Malala's Magic Pencil, do most definitely and very realistically feature themselves as being continuously present. Four stars, and highly recommended (and the only reason I am unwilling to grant a full five stars to Malala's Magic Pencil is that I do find it a trifle annoying and actually kind of personally disconcerting that Malala's mother is basically a total non entity, is neither illustrated nor does she ever have her own personal opinions and attitudes towards life, education and indeed the role and position of women in society depicted and described, something that I for one do miss).
• 
  nitya

  In love with the art style here 🥰🥰🥰
  
  And really glad this book exists, young readers should know Malala's story. It's powerful, inspiring and still so relevant!
• 
  Krista Regester

  I remember reading I am Malala, and how she told the tale of the magic pencil. This story truly proves how kind and unselfish she is, even as a young child. I love how she took that idea and turned it into a beautifully illustrated story.
• 
  AleJandra

  Dice mi hija que porque escogí un libro tan triste.
• 
  Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫

  I really enjoyed this book and let me tell you why: first, (American) children need to see different cultures in storybooks. Second, the illustrations--namely the bronze/gold leafing--is absolutely stunning. The book was brought to life by these little illustrative details. And finally,I just loved how Malala's story (if you don't know it, or if you haven't read her autobiography, I recommend it!) was put into this creative story of a magic pencil. The book even had me imagining what I would do if I had one!
• 
  Maria Carmo

  Loved this book, which has such a poignant story and such beautiful illustrations! A must read that will touch one's hearts and minds...
  
  Maria Carmo,
  
  Lisbon 20 December 2017.
• 
  Mathew

  Absolutely aspirational. Finally, after reading several poor-quality picturebooks telling the story of Malala, along comes a picturebook written by Malala herself and illustrated by Kerascoet. I loved both elements equally and think the illustrator did a wonderful job of making powerful points about the problems in Pakistan, implicitly. The narrative is so well written and accessible and the illustrations have an almost cartoon-like appeal which carry no humour but a sense of reality that makes the story feel distant enough for the younger reader to question and explore and yet real enough to reflect on. Everyone should read this story and when they're older, they should then read her extended autobiography too.
• 
  The Bookish Unicorn

  "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world."
  
  This was a beautifully told and illustrated picture book about Malala and her life before she became a famous advocate for girl's education. I would recommend for many parents to read this to their children!
• 
  Kristina

  Such an important message with stunning illustrations to accompany it!
• 
  Ana Lacuesta

  Si, hay que darle un libro para niños que los sencibilice y los haga cuestionar sobre otras realidades de nuestro mundo, este es un librito para leer y reflexionar.
  Conocía la historia de Malala pero verla desde esta perspectiva fue muy interesante y muy revelador con las ilustraciones que las acompañan, es su historia de vida, impactante.
  
• 
  Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice)

  Malala’s Magic Pencil is an emotionally and beautifully written story inspired by true events and dreams that Malala herself had as a young girl living in Pakistan. Dreaming about having the use of a magic pencil to make situations better and learning about the world’s struggles too. Highly recommended!
  
• 
  Jasmine

  Children's books about real life situations sometimes have a fine line to walk between telling facts to children that they're really not ready for, and hiding those facts to the point that a straight-up inaccurate picture is drawn. Picture books take that to another level, cause you're talking to very young kids. This book does a really good job of telling a distressing story without letting it be TOO distressing (the taliban keeping girls out of school and physically threatening people is scary enough, we don't need to go into medical details of how they threatened) and communicating the central message — the value of education. Plus, for western kids, bonus peek into the worlds of kids who live and dress differently than you.
• 
  Laura Giessler

  It would be wonderful for more children to learn about Malala and her advocacy for education, especially education for girls. This book succeeded in bringing far-away countries a little nearer. I wish that she had named the Taliban ("powerful and dangerous men"), but parents and teachers can fill in with more information. I understand why she minimized the details in telling about her attack; but at the same time, without more information, readers can't get a sense of how intensely these "dangerous men" didn't want her to go to school and how far they were willing to go to silence her.
• 
  Adeeb

  This was a really cute book. Malala uses nice imagery to capture her story to the youngsters. It is uplifting and simple, something great for the youngsters.
• 
  Müni

  Ich bin ein großer Fan von Malala. Vor kurzem war Weltfrauentag und am liebsten hätte ich dieser starken Frau einen Preis gegeben oder sie einfach nur umarmt. Als ich sah, dass der NordSüd Verlag ein Kinderbuch dazu publiziert hat, musste ich es sofort lesen. Ihr wisst, dass ich eine Schwäche für Kinderbücher habe, vor allem, wenn es um Malala geht.
  
  Vor einiger Zeit habe ich bereits die Biografie von Malala gelesen. Am Ende ihrer Geschichte, war ich vollkommen fassungslos und wusste, dass ich und meine Mitmenschen unser eigenes Leben und unser Umfeld noch mehr schätzen sollten, da es vielen auf dieser Welt einfach schlecht geht.
  
  
  Kommen wir nun zu dem Kinderbuch "Malalas magischer Stift", welches mich von Anfang bis zum Ende absolut überzeugt hat. Die Idee des magischen Stiftes ist bezaubernd. Am Anfang der Geschichte erzählt Malala kurz, was sie alles mit einem magischen Stift machen würde. Die Protagonistin ist sehr warmherzig und will am liebsten alle glücklich machen, indem sie ihre Wünsche erfüllt. Parallel wird von Malalas Leben berichtet und ihre Beziehung zu ihrem Vater hervorgehoben, was ich sehr schön und liebevoll finde.
  
  Die Geschichte wird durch tatkräftiges Tun von Malala unterstützt und erwähnt zum Glück das böse Ereignis, welches Malala im richtigen Leben zugestoßen war, nicht.
  
  Die Ilustrationen sind sehr lebendig und kindlich gemacht und wirken dadurch auf den Leser.
  
  Ich würde dieses Buch nicht nur den kleinen Kindern ans Herz legen, sondern auch den Erwachsenen. Jeder sollte wissen, wer Malala ist und, was sie für die Frauen in ihrem Land getan hat.
  
  
  Danke an den NordSüd Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
• 
  Krista the Krazy Kataloguer

  This is not so much a book about Malala's life as it is a book about her dreams. She and her brothers used to watch a TV show about a boy with a magic pencil, who would get himself out of trouble by drawing things that would save him. It reminded me of Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon. She uses the idea of the magic pencil to talk about what she would do if she had one--how she would help her family and how she would help others, not just in Pakistan, but all over the world. As she got older, she realized that her pencil could work magic, but not in the way she'd always dreamed. She began writing and advocating for education for rich and poor, girls as well as boys. She alludes to her trouble with the Taliban, but doesn't specify that she was shot. Her message is that young people have a voice and can make a difference. It's certainly an inspiring book, for adults as well as for children. Kerascoet's illustrations are delicate like Malala, with the dreamy bits in gold. A beautiful book--may she write many more! Highly recommended!
• 
  Katie Armstrong

  Written by a truly inspirational young person, this book discusses the importance of education and how it should not be taken for granted. Even though it is written simply, the illustrations in the book enable for more emotion to be radiated when reading this book, so much so it left me with my hairs on end. Fantastic for children to see how lucky they are that they are able to go to school with no issues and how other children do not have the privilege to go to school.
• 
  I.Shayan

  کتاب خوبی بود خلاصه زندگی ملاله بصورت کوتاه و سبک شده برای بچه ها ولی خب شاید در نهایت بچه هارو خیلی به فکر فرو نبره و درس خاصی از خوندن این کتاب نگرین
• 
  Abigail

  Educational rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai describes her childhood in Pakistan's Swat Valley in this lovely, deeply poignant and inspirational picture-book. Growing up, Malala wished that she had the magical pencil possessed by the hero of one of her favorite television shows, imagining all the ways she could improve both her own life and the world around her. When the Taliban took over her region, outlawing education for girls, she realized that although she didn't have a magical pencil, she did have a voice - a voice she could use to promote the right of girls to go to school. Attacked for her work, Malala survived, and went on to become one of the world's most recognizable figures in this field of activism...
  
  Malala Yousafzai has written both an adult memoir, and a young reader's version of that adult memoir, but Malala's Magic Pencil is aimed at younger children, at the preschool and early primary school level. Given that this is so, it's important to note that some of the most disturbing elements of her story - the fact that the Taliban attempted to assassinate her, for instance - are treated very obliquely here. The episode is covered in a two-page spread, the right-hand page a solid black, with the words "My voice became so powerful that dangerous men tried to silence me. But they failed" on it, and the left-hand page showing Malala at a window, wearing a hospital bracelet. This seems like a good way to handle the issue given the age of the audience, concentrating on the motives behind the attack and its failure, rather than on its violence. The moving narrative here is well-matched by the gorgeous artwork of Kerascoët, a pseudonym used by the husband and wife team of Sébastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy. The illustrations are very expressive, in the human scenes, but there is an element of visual magic too, when Malala is using her pen, and the endpapers are beautifully decorative. All in all, a lovely picture-book introduction to this important figure, one I would recommend to young children interested in their peers around the world, or to anyone searching for children's books that emphasize what a vital blessing access to educations is.
• 
  Stephanie Anze

  Malala Yousafzai is a well known international figure. A vocal advocate for education especifically that of girls, Malala is a fighter. Malala survived an assassination attempt against her by the Taliban. She celebrated her sixteenth birthday by giving a speech at the UN and received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work when she was 17 years old (the youngest recipient to date). I read 'I Am Malala' some time ago and was mesmerized by her spirit. This is an abridged version of her story. Somewhat vague on the details, the book outlines her journey as she goes from a schoolgirl to international advocate so its the perfect introduction for children. Though the book is about a "magic" pencil, her words and penmanship indeed have had and continue to have great relevance. Her pen is magical indeed. To quote miss Yousafzai herself: "Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons".
• 
  La Coccinelle

  This is a lovely little book. Between the uplifting, hopeful message and the delightful illustrations, it's an enjoyable and educating read.
  
  I haven't read Malala's full-length memoir, but this picture book is a nice introduction to her story. It doesn't get too scary or graphic for kids (for example, what happened to her at the hands of the Taliban isn't explicitly stated), but it's still able to get the main points across, showing children how much of a struggle getting a basic education is in certain parts of the world.
  
  I highly recommend this one for those looking to introduce their kids to the inspiring person that is Malala Yousafzai. (Although, as an adult, I enjoyed it, too.)
• 
  Kimberly Dawn

  It has thrilled me tonight to read this autobiography of Malala, the Pakistani girl, now education activist, in an inspiring picture book for children. An incredible story this is of the youngest recipient ever of the Nobel peace prize. I am just swooning over the beautiful illustrations and its powerful message of the value of education and girls’ rights to obtain an education. Proof positive of the impact for good that one brave soul can make upon the world, this brave young girl who was barely more than a child. What better role model for girls than Malala? I know of one special girl in my life who will be receiving this book for Christmas!
• 
  Raquel Silva

  Um livro tão lindo e com uma mensagem tão importante!!!
• 
  Julie Suzanne

  Powerful in its simplicity. In this version of Malala's true story, she leaves out the part where the Taliban shot her in the head and just has a black page accompanying the words, "My voice became so powerful that the dangerous men tried to silence me. But they failed." A magical pencil of her fantasies that she would use to right the wrongs around her (in the meantime giving the reader the context of her situation in a brilliant way) grows throughout the story from selfish immediate desires (like more time to sleep) to drawing/creating schools that all children could attend as she grows and matures over the course of a few captivating pages. Ultimately, that imaginary magic pencil becomes her ability to make real changes in society with her writing. I'm in awe at what she accomplishes in this picture book.
  
  Adding to my secondary school library, no matter who the intended audience truly is.