Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet by Elizabeth Suneby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It may be the case that when our children see a need or a problem that needs fixing in the world around them, that they want to be a part of the solution. Iqbal is a child with an ingenious idea that helps to solve a commonly experienced problem in his own home and by other families in his community.
During monsoon season in Bangladesh, families must cook inside their homes over an open flame. The resulting smoke causes family members to get sick. When tasked with the challenge of coming up with a science fair project that is good for the environment, Iqbal comes up with a brilliant idea to create a solar cooker that could be used during Bangladesh’s five sunny seasons. He learns that using a solar cooker would eliminate the need to cook over an open flame, and with there being no wood burning involved, it would not pollute the air or make anyone sick.
Using the resources he already had available and one small investment in some foil, Iqbal made his very first umbrella solar cooker for his school’s science fair. With it, he hoped to increase safety and improve the health of many (including his own mother). And should his entry be a winner, he would use his earnings to purchase a small gas stove that his mom could use during monsoon season.
This is a CitizenKid book; one from a collection of books that seeks to “inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.” I enjoyed Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea. What I appreciate the most is that it empowers kids. Our children have the capacity to affect change and can make a difference in the world. I also like that the reader gets to walk through the inventing process. They get to experience Iqbal’s longing to solve an immediate problem. They see him think, and dream, and craft ideas all the way through to completion. I hope it will inspire innovation. At the very end of the book, there is information about clean cookstoves. There is also a do-it-yourself page with instructions for creating a pizza box solar cooker.
This was not a book that I went to the library looking for. It is one that I happened upon while browsing. I am glad to have found it. I think you might enjoy it too.
Shout-Outs
Elizabeth Suneby | https://www.elizabethsuneby.com/
Rebecca Green | http://myblankpaper.com/
CitizenKid | Kid Can Press | http://www.citizenkidcentral.com/index.html
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 