Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) reposted this
“Hi Dr Duflo! In your Nobel speech, you said that you want to make everyone understand poverty. Do these books do that?” In a room full of authors, academics, and artists, a young boy in round green plastic spectacles asked what Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo declared the “best question of the evening.” “Children are natural social scientists,” Duflo said as she delved into her motivation for writing ‘Poor Economics for Kids,’ a series of picture books that tells the story of Nilou and her friends. These stories – the daily lives of these children – are the lived experience of millions around the world. Developed with Cheyenne Olivier, an award-winning illustrator, Duflo gently introduces children to the multidimensional realities of poverty and inequality with empathy and a touch of magic. Adults will enjoy these books as much as the kids will! In a rich visual reimagination of the world, the authors infuse the universal feeling of childhood into a succinct exploration of global poverty. The books series break stereotypes to elegantly illustrate themes such as education, health, nutrition, and migration, among others. The books are published in English as an anthology by Juggernaut Books and in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Marathi by Pratham Books. Duflo and Olivier launched the book series in packed auditoriums in Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi on the 8th, 10th, and 11th of July in a series of panel discussions, moderated by Abhijit Banerjee, Roopa Pai, and Paro Anand respectively. The questions asked by curious attendees, both adults and children, to Duflo and Olivier were stunningly expansive in their range: from using AI to combat poverty, to the artistic inspiration behind the illustrations, to the technical innovations required to publish high-quality books at a relatively low price. Children were particularly impressive with their thoughtful questions on some of the biggest issues of our times. “Making people empathize with the struggles of those experiencing poverty is a lifelong journey,” said Dr Duflo, as she mused upon the decades of research and travel that she consolidated to develop these playful – and profound – stories. Read more about the book series in The Telegraph: https://lnkd.in/gpyKTuW9 Pictures by The French Institute / IFI (Institut français India) and J-PAL South Asia
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Sounds incredible… children struggle with the very idea of poverty. The “ haves” cannot relate to the idea of poverty and the “have nots” wonder why and are struggling to get out it. Thank you Dr. Duflo for this gift to our children ( & adults).
Seems like an interesting read, going to get it!
Founder CEO of The Celestial Earth
3moI recently got the opportunity to hear Dr Duflo's speech on poverty alleviation at the T20 Brasil conference in Rio De Janeiro. She is a very good speaker and really can motivate people 👍