The undeniable power of one

There are excellent books for children about the enormous difference a single person can make.

I am Rosa Parks

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” This quote, attributed to the Dalai Lama, will ring true with any Goliath who has been brought down to his knees by the courage, conviction and persistence of one seemingly insignificant David.

With Gandhi Jayanti round the corner, let’s talk about the power of a single person — the stories of all those people who made a difference to the world, or at least their world, in the face of overwhelming challenges.

In my previous columns, I’ve already mentioned books about M K Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg — all of them excellent examples of the effect that one person can have on the world. Here are some more stories:

Jadav and the Tree-Place, written and illustrated by Vinayak Verma, tells the story of Jadav Payeng, who created an entire forest on barren land in the Sunderbans.

Manjhi Moves a Mountain, by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Danny Popovici, is the story of how Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and a chisel to carve a path through a mountain to connect his village to the outside world.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. This book, which has young reader and picture book editions too (and a film!) is about how the author, as a boy, built a windmill out of scrap to bring energy to his village.

Although there are a great number of books written about him, A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla, is a good introduction to the life and work of the civil rights activist.

I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Chris Eliopoulos, is an adorable book about the woman who shook the world by simply refusing to give up her seat on a bus.

Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World, by Jen Cullerton Johnson and illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is the story of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, environmentalist, who founded the Green Belt Movement and led a campaign to plant 30 million trees in Africa.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909, by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, is the fascinating story of Clara Lemlich, the young immigrant who organised the largest strike of women workers in the US.

Speaking of labour leaders, I have written about India’s very own first labour leader, Anasuya Sarabhai, in my book 10 Indian Women Who Were the First to Do What They Did. The book also has amazing stories of women like lawyer Cornelia Sorabji, teacher and activist Savitribai Phule, diplomat C B Muthamma and many others who single-handedly and persistently, chiselled away at barriers, opening up paths for women who came after them.

Of course, there are many other people out there who are quietly changing the world in their own little ways. Just because they don’t have books written about them doesn’t mean that what they do doesn’t matter!

The author got a master’s degree in energy engineering and worked in the IT industry until her daughter dragged out the writer lurking inside her. She has written eight books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com

GobbledyBook is a fortnightly column that gives you a peek into the wondrous world of children’s books. Hop on! Or as Alice did, plunge into the rabbit hole.