GOAL 3 – GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Remember the last time you got sick? Maybe you went to see the doctor, or you took some medicine to feel better. Many people around the world don’t have access to hospitals or medication yet. This is what Goal 3 is all about: ensuring everyone can live a healthy life.
There are many ways to achieve good health for all: grant access to hospitals and doctors when people need it, construct better roads and regulate traffic to prevent injuries from car accidents, promote mental health, ensure children around the world can get vaccinated and are protected from diseases like malaria or environmental pollution in the air or water.
Our new reading lists cover many of these topics and we hope the stories will inspire you to take action for everyone to live a healthy life.
The SDG Book Club makes content available in the six official languages of the United Nations – please see our other pages for more recommendations in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
Table of Contents
Special message from UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed
A handful of quiet: happiness in four pebbles
A beautifully illustrated and simply explained introduction to mindfulness for children, based on holding, drawing or focusing on everyday tangible objects such as pebbles, marbles or beans. Meditation and mindfulness are great tools for mental and physical health and well-being. Renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hahn shares his creative, hands-on approach for children and families to help relieve stress, increase concentration and deal with difficult emotions. This book can be read by an older child alone or used as a guide for parents and educators to teach children a simple meditation technique. It includes practical projects and tools to set all members of the family on the path to a healthier life.
Author: Thich Nhat Hahn | Illustrations: Wietske Vriezen | ISBN: 978-1937006211| Publisher: Plum Blossom
What What What?
Asking so many questions all the time can be irritating: “What’s up? What’s happened? What’s going on?”. Pan just wants to satisfy his curiosity but he often makes people annoyed. But one day his persistent questions lead him to help a child in a serious situation with the solidarity of the entire community supporting him. Good health and well-being are particularly crucial for children, and one of their basic human rights. Pan’s efforts pay off and lead to a positive outcome in this story that deals with difficult issues in a child-friendly and thought-provoking way. The unique illustrations are a perfect complement to the compelling tale.
Author: Arata Tendo | Illustrator: Ryoji Arai | ISBN: 978-1592702374 | Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
I am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness
A lovely narrative storybook to lead younger children towards mindfulness and inner peace, thoughtfully illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, that captures the thread of anxious thoughts as they run away. Reading the story leads the child through a mindfulness exercise, relieving stress and increasing well-being. The simplicity of the approach and gentleness of the illustrations and words have a direct effect on the reader. It encourages a sense of peace that can also be shared with others. There is a practical exercise of guided meditation at the end of the story.
Author: Susan Verde | Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds | ISBN: 978-1419727016 | Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Reading is a great way to better understand what people from across the globe struggle with in their everyday lives, and it helps us reflect on our own situation. But reading is just the first step: now it’s time to share your book club experiences and how you plan to take action. Each month, we will feature a couple of book clubs on our blog, so get ready to share your story through social media, by using #SDGBookClub and tagging @UNPublications.
We encourage you to host book club meetings around the world and share your photos via hashtag #SDGBookClub. If you would like to organize a public book club meeting, we recommend contacting your local book store, library or school and set it up with them. Please share the planned event on social media using #SDGBookClub and we will add it to the list of events. Click the button below to download our tips to organize a successful event!
Help us spread the word by downloading our promotional materials. You will find a horizontal banner, bookmark, placard and easy-to-print sign-up sheet for your friends, family and community to join the SDG Book Club!
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is a federation of publishing associations from around the world. The main mandate of the IPA is to promote and defend copyright, support the freedom to publish, promote literacy and reading. IPA is an accredited NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. IPA supports the SDGs and works particularly closely with WIPO and UNESCO.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession. Founded in 1927 in Edinburgh, Scotland at an international conference, we celebrated our 90th birthday in 2017. We now have more than 1,300 Members in nearly 150 countries around the world. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is a non-profit organization that represents an international network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together. Today IBBY comprises 79 National Sections worldwide.
The European & International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) represents national booksellers associations in the European Union and beyond. EIBF Members in turn have in membership booksellers of all kinds: brick and mortar bookshops, online bookshops, independents, chains.
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is the most important international trade fair of the children’s publishing industry. With over 50 years of experience, BCBF has succeeded in bringing together a unique and diverse global audience: the result is the world’s premium copyright business hub when it comes to publishing with an extra core that extends to all multi-media content for children.