Human Rights Day:Books your kids can read to become better adults

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December – the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all. The principles enshrined in the Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. We need to stand up for our own rights and those of others. We can take action in our own daily lives, to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby promote the kinship of all human beings.

Make a commitment to #HumanRights. Click below to share your favourite article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights #StandUp4HumanRights #UDHR70  #UDHRarticles #HumanRightsDay

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) December 10, 2018

On this occasion, here are some books that you can get your kids to read to teach them about the basic human rights, from equality to education.

The Why Why Girl by Mahasweta Devi (Age: 6+)

This book is about a young girl named Moyna, who lives in a tribal village. She doesn’t go to school since she has to work, but she is full of questions. The narrator helps her find answers to all the why-whys in books that Moyna learns to read herself.

We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures by Amnesty

This picture book celebrates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (signed on December 1948) through beautiful illustrations, and is a perfect read for children. The book includes artwork by renowned artists, including Axel Scheffler, Peter Sis, Satoshi Kitamura, Alan Lee, Polly Dunbar, Jackie Morris, Debi Gliori, Chris Riddell, Catherine and Laurence Anholt, among others.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa

A paperback picture book based on the true story of Wangari Maathai, an environmental and political activist in Kenya and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees.

Year of the Weeds by Siddhartha Sarma (Age: 9+)

This book revolves around Korok from a small Gond village in Odisha, who fights against the forces of the state to protect his village and its people who had been asked to vacate the land for mining purposes by a company.

Every Human Has Rights: A Photographic Declaration for Kids by Mary Robinson (Foreword), National Geographic (Age: 10+)

This book enumerates the 30 rights stated in the 1948 declaration by the United Nations, from right to life to healthcare. The rights are supported by emotional commentaries by other children, along with illustrations.

For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story by Rebecca Langston-George (Age:8+)

This books narrates the story of activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who defied the Taliban, and went on to advocate for female education.

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh (Age:6+)

This picture book explains the hardships of immigration through an allegory. It revolves around a young rabbit named Pancho who awaits the return of his father, who migrated to the far north to earn a living. When Papa Rabbit does not come home on the day he was supposed to, Pancho embarks on a journey to find his father. But the journey is not easy.

The Carpet Boy’s Gift by Pegi Deitz Shea (Age: 6+)

This book narrates the story of Nadeem, a Pakistani boy, who yearns for freedom and schooling for himself and other children working in a carpet factory to repay loans from the factory owner to the parents.

Yasmin’s Hammer by Ann Malaspina (Age: 5+)

Yasmin, a girl in Bangladesh, longs to go to school but she has to work at the brickyard to earn money for her family. As she dreams of learning to read, she comes up with a secret plan one night to make her dream into reality. Through a powerful tale, the book offers a refreshing perspective on the value of education.