Quality Education | Picture Book List For United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4

Armando and the Blue Tarp School by Edith Hope Fine

A young boy longs to go to school, but he must help his father sift through trash for items to sell to support the family. School is not something all students have the opportunity to attend, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. This book grants kids a new perspective on the privilege of school.

Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai

This might have been one of my favorite books we read while building our list of books for each of the United National Sustainable Development goals. It’s an autobiographical book written by internationally renowned social justice advocate Malala Yousafzai.

She shares her story about the realities she faced fighting for education for girls and other basic rights for people in her home country.  The book found a great balance between describing the perils and circumstances she encountered and an appropriate tone for a picture book for children. The story references the pain caused by the Taliban and also alluded to their attempts to kill her without feeling scary for children. This is a book I would definitely consider for our home library. 

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier

A little girl living in Uganda longs to go to school. Her family does not have enough money to send her to school, and she needs to stay home to help her mother. One day, the family receives a goat as a gift. The goat provides the family with nutrition from its milk and extra milk to sell to make a bit of money for the family. After many months, the girl has saved enough money from the goat’s milk that they sell to pay for school. She is very excited to have an opportunity to attend school and appreciates the big difference the single goat made to her family. 

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Walsh

A young girl in Afghanistan sees her father and her brother taken by the Taliban. Her mom leaves to find her brother and never returns. In utter sadness, she stops talking and sits home.

Her caretaker believes that she will benefit from attending school, something girls are not allowed to do under the regime of the Taliban. For months, the caretaker brings her to the secret school for girls and she remains silent. Eventually, one little girl is able to befriend her, and this sad little girl starts talking. 

Yasmin’s Hammer by Ann Malaspina

Two young girls lose their farm to a cyclone in Bangladesh and move to the city with their family in search of jobs. Unfortunately, they do not have enough money to send the sisters to school. Instead, the girls must work each day to earn money for the family. Throughout the story, the main character longs to learn to read and eventually the family saves enough money to allow the girls to get an education.

Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges

Based on a true story, Ruby is a young girl in a family with many children. She lives in China at a time when few girls receive an education and women are expected to tend to the home.

Despite tradition, Ruby tells her grandfather that she wishes to have an education, and she is one of very few girls allowed to pursue university. This makes her very happy. This story can help children recognize that not all kids have equal opportunity for education even if it’s deserved.

Running Shoes by Frederick Lipp

A young girl dreams of going to school but she lives eight kilometers from school and has no shoes to wear to protect her feet to get there. One day, she receives a pair of shoes from a special visitor. The shoes enable her to go to school, an experience that ultimately changes her life. This book gives little ones insight into the small but meaningful barriers to education that others experience and they may take for granted.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight For Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

All children deserve access to a good education, and separate schools based on race, gender, or any other demographic factor are not equal. This book tells the true story of a young girl, Sylvia Mendez, whose family fought for integrated schools in California to ensure that all students (including those of Mexican descent like Sylvia) had access to a good and fair education.

The Hard Times Jar by Ethel Footman Smothers

A young girl in a migrant family longs to read books of her own, but her family cannot afford anything beyond the basics. As the family travels, the story a bit of extra money in a jar for hard times. Sometimes she attends school, and other times while traveling, she works to help the family earn money. This book highlights how some families make do with very little while also highlighting the varying degrees to which children have access to good education.