Praise for The World's Poorest President Speaks Out

One of 100 Scope Notes's Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2020!STARRED REVIEW! ? "Mujica posited that the real problem is not climate change but 'how we have come to live our lives' ... He challenged listeners to consider whether 'we were born ... to pursue economic growth and progress [or rather] to live in such a way as to find happiness on this planet.' Mujica's thought-provoking argument is just as valid today. The illustrations accompanying the text play with design and perspective, capturing Mujica's words in ways that give them great immediacy and vividness... An ideal vehicle to engage children in a discussion on the meanings of poverty, having enough, and social justice."
Kirkus

Nakagawa’s blocky digital illustrations adroitly illustrate the talk’s themes—in one, a careworn man struggles to haul an outsize pile of possessions, including a house and car. The message—that 'progress must add to human happiness, not take away from it'—is as timely as ever.
Publishers Weekly

This timely translation of a 2014 title originally published in Japan is based on a 2012 speech made by Uruguay’s 40th president, José Mujica, delivered at the United Nations’ Rio+20 Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro. Mujica, who was president from 2010 to 2015, was a simple, unassuming, and much-beloved leader... His speech on 'Sustainable Development and Human Happiness' captured his audience’s attention and admiration... Bold, graphic, digitally created illustrations complement the text from the onset of the speech, where the audience appears bored, to the standing ovation at the end... VERDICT: A thought-provoking, important message for these trying times.
School Library Journal

“The word 'poor' appears in the title of exactly ONE children's book this year, and here it is. But [this book] is not unconventional for that reason alone. The text of this book is based on an actual speech delivered in 2012 by Uruguay President José Mujica (called the 'poorest' president because he donates 90% of his annual salary) to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. His heartfelt plea? 'Economic growth and progress must add to human happiness, not take away from it.”
100 Scope Notes

About the Author

Yoshimi Kusaba is an editor and the author of and contributor to several books.

Gaku Nakagawa was born in 1966 and currently resides in Kyoto. A monk of the Jodo-shu Seizan branch Zenrin-ji, he became an illustrator in 1996, creating illustrations for various books and other publications. Internationally, he has featured in Monocle, a London-based publication that is distributed across twenty countries, and also for a special feature on world illustrators by renowned German art publishers TASCHEN. Notable works include cover and book illustrations for Manabu Makine’s Toppinparari no kazetarou (Tokyo: Bungeishunju, 2013) and Bessatsu bungeishunjuu (Bungei shunju extra) (Tokyo: Bungeishunju, 2014). He won recognition in the 2013 Design for Asia Award for Ezoushi ryuutandan (Ezoushi Ryutandan) (2013) and Ehon kechou (Kechou) (2013).

Andrew Wong was born in Singapore, and now lives in Tokyo. He spent six years away from Tokyo in Stirling, Scotland, and Fukui, Japan, which sowed in him ideas on different ways of life. Often wandering in and out of picture books and imaginary worlds with his wife and two children, his passion to share these worlds drives a blog on stories that he hopes will one day find a worldwide audience. This book is his first published translation.

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