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Summary
Summary
It's monsoon season in Bangladesh, which means Iqbal's mother must cook the family's meals indoors, over an open fire. The smoke from the fire makes breathing difficult for his mother and baby sister, and it's even making them sick. Hearing them coughing at night worries Iqbal. So when he learns that his school's upcoming science fair has the theme of sustainability, Iqbal comes up with the perfect idea for his entry: he'll design a stove that doesn't produce smoke! With help from his teacher, Iqbal learns all about solar energy cooking, which uses heat from the sun to cook --- ingenious! Has Iqbal found a way to win first prize in the science fair while providing cleaner air and better health for his family at the same time?
Award-winning author Elizabeth Suneby's thoroughly researched and inspiring story introduces young children to the problems associated with open-flame cooking in the developing world, as well as background information on sustainable technology. Part of the CitizenKid collection, this book uses the common experience of a science fair project to help children recognize that they, too, can help make the world a better place through innovative thinking and creative problem solving. The artwork by Rebecca Green, filled with details of everyday life in a Bangladesh village, beautifully evokes a sense of place and culture. Iqbal offers a perfect example for the character education subject of initiative. End matter includes information about clean cookstoves, a DIY solar cooker activity and a glossary.
Author Notes
Elizabeth Suneby loves words! Writing helps Liz come up with new ideas, learn new things, figure out her feelings and express them to others. Writing is also how Liz earns a living. She writes content for companies large and small. She writes magazine articles. And she writes books for children and teens that help kids find their voice in a hopeful world.
Rebecca Green is an illustrator and painter whose work can be found in children's books, magazines and galleries. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Based on actual experiences of people living in Bangladesh, this fictional story highlights the role of scientific problem-solving to improve daily life through the conceit of a science fair project. When Iqbal's teacher announces that the theme of this year's science fair will be sustainability, he constructs a solar cooker; that way, when the monsoon weather arrives in Bangladesh, his mother and baby sister will not have to breathe in the smoke-filled air caused by cooking indoors. With the help of his sister, Iqbal does win and, more important, he solves a problem in a way that protects the environment, reduces health problems, and especially benefits girls and women. The well-written text is clear and descriptive. A monsoon, for example, is described as follows: "Not a light mist or even a steady downpour, but gusts of rain that whip across your face and make you squint your eyes." The illustrations provide many details of the setting in Bangladesh, of Iqbal's dreaming and planning, and of the details of the solar cooker. Back matter includes more information about solar cookers and directions for making one from a pizza box. VERDICT An excellent example of how children can apply science to problem solving.-Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In the newest addition to the CitizenKid series from Suneby (Razia's Ray of Hope), a Bangladeshi boy's search for a science fair project is the conduit for discussing a health and safety issue found in many developing countries: open-flame cooking. The fictional Iqbal (not to be confused with the late Pakistani children's rights crusader) notices that smoky indoor cooking during monsoon season is causing his family's breathing problems. He works with his teacher and sister to build a solar cooker for the science fair, hoping that the prize money could pay for a propane stove. The stylized colored-pencil illustrations from Green (How to Make Friends with a Ghost) offer realistic scenes of Bangladeshi village life in muted hues and portray the closeness of Iqbal's family. Readers also glimpse an educational system segregated by gender: Iqbal's class consists of all boys with a male teacher, though his inquisitive, insistent sister, Sadia, who also attends school, is just as involved with the project. An author's note, glossary, and do-it-yourself instructions for a pizza box solar cooker wrap up another successful entry in this series of encouraging stories about children empowered by education and engaged in problem-solving in their communities. Ages 8-12. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Fictional Bangladeshi boy Iqbal builds an inexpensive solar cooker to win the school science fair; with his prize money he also buys his mother a healthy gas stove to avoid the harmful smoke from an open fire indoors. Information on clean cookstoves and DIY instructions round out this excellent resource for thinking about science and daily life in other countries. Colored-pencil illustrations effectively render monsoon-season Bangladesh. Glos. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
It's monsoon season in Bangladesh, which means Iqbal's mother has to cook inside the house using firewood. The smoke it produces causes her and baby Rupa to fall sick. Unfortunately, Iqbal and his family are not well-to-do and cannot afford a gas stove to replace the fire. Iqbal, however, is a bright young boy; he is determined to win the first prize at the district science fair, which in turn will buy his mother a gas stove. Armed with an ingenious idea and helped by his sister Sadia, Iqbal designs and builds a solar-powered stove for his entry. Suneby's easily accessible narrative at once introduces many Western readers to a different way of life and inspires them to think outside the box. Green's illustrations are earthy and colorful and perfectly capture the soul of the story. Information about clean cookstoves, an activity to build a solar-powered stove out of a pizza box, and a glossary follow the story and might inspire discussions about different cultures and DIY science experiments in a classroom setting.Deftly promotes a positive message about embracing and harnessing one's curiosity and intelligence to make a difference. (Picture book. 5-10)
Booklist Review
From the CitizenKid line comes this picture book, a third-person fictional story of a boy inspired to be a better citizen by acting locally. During monsoon season in Bangladesh, Iqbal notices cooking smoke making his mother sick, and so with his sister's help, he wins a sustainability science fair with a solar cooker, creating benefits for his Muslim family and the environment. The familiar context of science projects will resonate with the audience, and additional information about clean cookstoves and instructions for creating one from a pizza box are included. The glossary defines words in Bengali, several international organizations are indicated as references, and the colored-pencil illustrations are informative and particularly well drawn. Calling it his ingenious idea is a bit disingenuous, as Iqbal gets the plan from going straight to the computer and typing in smokeless cooking, but it's nevertheless an impactful idea of which he can be proud and which might motivate readers.--Medlar, Andrew Copyright 2018 Booklist