Poor Economics for Kids

By Esther Duflo

Illustrated by Cheyenne Olivier

Poverty- a topic which can be discussed back and forth and arrive at no conclusions or solutions. The problem itself is so deep rooted, has so many biases, structural issues, morality biases and everything else and you know whichever side of the fence you stand on- the solution is always going to be tainted.

As adults, we possibly think we have no solutions and conversations could bring in biases and the most easy way to circumvent this is - to not talk about it at all. But by doing so, we hardly give credit to the future citizens- the children- who need to be given more credit than is due- for their empathy, their tolerance, their problem solving and more.

Presented in 10 chapters, this book takes you through the lives of a bunch of friends in a village. Difficult lives, but you don’t see them complaining. They struggle, they try to make best of what’s been handed to them but the book does the barest minimum- it’s lays bare the situation, the problem and the possibilities and leaves it to the reader to interpret.

Tackling issues like education, lack of jobs, lack of healthcare, homelessness, seasonality of work and jobs, climate change and more- this is a window into a world which forces you to think.

While the stories themselves urge you to delve into the situation, every chapter is followed by notes which will urge the older readers to critical thinking.

This is a fantastic resource, one we have used multiple times for deeper conversations. Sadly, no solutions- but probably thinking about the problem could one day lead to them. And I say, the earlier we start, the better the probability.

Ideal for 7+yrs - to be read with an adult for deeper conversations and understanding.