  | Twenty-two cents : Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank Author: Yoo, Paula | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
A biography of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who from a young age was determined to make a difference in the world and eventually revolutionized global antipoverty efforts by developing the innovative economic concept of micro-lending.
| Illustrator: | Akib, Jamel |
Download a Teacher's Guide| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 6.50 Points: .5 Quiz: 169346 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 8.60 Points: 3.0 Quiz: 64810 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/15/14)
School Library Journal (10/01/14)
Booklist (09/15/14)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2014 Gr 2–5—This poignant picture book biography describes Muhammad Yunus, the man who developed microcredit, or the economic movement that gives small loans to the impoverished and that is breaking the cycle of rural poverty around the world. Born into a middle-class family in what is now Bangladesh in 1940, Yunus studied economics in America as a Fulbright scholar, where he saw Vietnam War protests and was "impressed by the students' belief that they could make a difference." Returning to Bangladesh after its brutal war for independence, Yunus was overwhelmed by resulting poverty, drought, and exploitation by moneylenders. He met a struggling craftswoman. Though she only needed 22 cents, she was denied a loan because her illiteracy and poverty made her a "banking untouchable." In response, he founded Grameen (Village) Bank to make small loans to the poor, and the concept of microcredit was born. Honored in 2006 with a Nobel Peace Prize, Yunus accepted and in his speech celebrated "the hundreds of millions of women all around the world who struggle every day to make a living and bring hope for a better life for their children." Yoo's text is straightforward and detailed, and her story of a true hero of the modern world will resonate with students, while the accompanying illustrations enhance the narrative through line and color in soft chalk pastels. Back matter includes a bibliography of sources, an afterword with information about poverty in America, and an update on Yunus's life since his retirement in 2011. This hopeful and inspiring tale sheds light on an important but little-known subject who made a huge difference.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/15/2014 In this illustrated take on the unusual topic of microcredit banking, Yoo and Akib bring to life the remarkable work of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank. The account begins with Yunus’ birth in Chittagong, India, in 1940, and moves chronologically through his education in Bangladesh and the U.S., the founding of the bank in 1977, and his Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Threaded through the narrative are glimpses of the moments that sustained and inspired him: his father’s advice to “learn from the world,” the shocking poverty he saw all around him, political activism, and the potential he recognized in the determination and integrity of working women. Akib’s pastel illustrations are at once impressionistic and realistic. The rich, light-infused colors brighten this biography just as Yunus’ work brightens the lives of real women and families whose destinies have been transformed. Best suited for a middle-grade audience, this eye-opening picture book provides an affecting look at how simple ideas can change the world. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.
