Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor

Gr 2-5–Informative and brilliant in concept and design, this book follows the unfolding of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kailash Satyarthi’s life, “little by little,” his incredible acts mimicking the hummingbird he once heard about in a story as a boy. As a fire burned and animals fled, a single hummingbird raced back and forth with water, “drop by drop,” and he was amazed “that even small creatures could do big things.” The repetition of this idea grounds this biography as Satyarthi learns, grows, and fights for others in India. A muted, sensory palette of varied colors, dominated by pinks, blues, and browns, establishes the historical setting, using text size and format for impact. Initially, Satyarthi wonders why some children work instead of go to school like him, and dwells on the Dalits in the caste system: “How can I alone make a difference?” He bucks his family’s expectations, his society’s norms, and begins to take action that led to new child labor laws in India and other countries. Discussion of child labor in the story is appropriate, but very young children may need more context. Back matter includes notes from the author about Satyarthi, the caste system, child labor today, a selected bibliography, and further reading.