Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education

In a clear, measured narrative, smoothly translated by Cormier, French author Frier (Angela and the Cherry Tree) details Malala Yousafzai’s childhood in Pakistan and the events that drove her to become an activist. Encouraged by her father, who ran a school for girls, Yousafzai pursued knowledge and autonomy, yet her education was threatened by a 2008 Taliban ban on girls attending school. A vivid energy suffuses Fronty’s vibrant folk-naive artwork; when Yousafzai is eventually shot during a bus ride home from school, Fronty shows the gunmen in silhouette and gunfire exploding around her in a halolike burst. Substantial back matter includes a timeline of Yousafzai’s life, contextual information about Pakistan, and details about other major humanitarian figures, including Gandhi and Mandela. Though not the only picture book biography of Yousafzai available, this is a solid introduction to the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Ages 6–9. (Feb.)