Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet

The smoke from cooking indoors is making Iqbal’s mother and the new baby sick, but outdoor cooking is impossible during the monsoon season in Bangladesh. Because Iqbal’s family is too poor to afford a propane stove, Iqbal decides to enter the school science fair in order to win the prize money and be able to buy the stove for his family. The science fair’s theme is sustainability with a focus on designing something that is good for the environment, and so, with the help of his younger sister and his teacher, Iqbal designs a solar-powered cooker made out of an old umbrella, foil, and a soot-blackened pan. On a bright, sunny day, the children test their creation- it works! A few weeks later, the winner of the district science fair is announced, and to his surprise and delight, Iqbal wins first prize for his invention. With his prize money, he is able to purchase the gas stove for his family.

Part of the “CitizenKid” collection of books which “inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens”, Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea brings to light one of the problems in Bangladesh, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia where people cook over open fires or on stoves fueled by wood and coal. This burning contributes to air pollution, and many of the people suffer from ill health as a result. Iqbal’s invention not only protects the environment and reduces health problems, but it also increases the safety of the women and girls who are responsible for cooking for their families. With no need to gather wood for fuel, the female household members also have more time to spend with the family, work for extra money, or in educational pursuits.

Iqbal’s story is simply told. Though it is enjoyable, one never gets the sense of anxiety that Iqbal probably experiences when designing his solar cooker or awaiting the results of the competition. As well, his relationship with his sister, Sadia, since she is his “assistant” on the project, could have also been fleshed out a bit more. Iqbal’s parents play a very small role in the story, and even the baby’s gender is never revealed. All of these are little details, but they would have made a big difference in the book. After all, it is for the benefit of his family that Iqbal creates his invention. The book does, however, champion creative thinking, problem-solving, inventiveness and awareness as it pertains to both the environment and to important health issues. Readers will see that even one child can make a difference in the world.

At the back of Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea, there is information about the benefits of clean cookstoves in regions such as Bangladesh, a glossary of Bengali words, and instructions for a fun activity. Kids can create a pizza box solar cooker with easily obtained materials, and then, on a hot, sunny day, they can use it to bake S’mores. The illustrations are rendered in coloured pencil and edited digitally. They capture the setting well, particularly the marketplace and the homes in the village, and their soft, muted tones echo the dreariness of the monsoon season.