People Need People

Opening at the first endpaper, readers are amazed to be confronted with over 200 heads of people! Young and old, babes and grandparents, all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, each different, never one repeated, but all with one characteristic in common. They all have a smile! A grin, a giggle or a guffaw, each beams in their own way. What an introduction. Every spread throughout this heart-warming book is packed with people doing all sorts of activities. There they are, waiting in an airport, playing in the park, enjoying family get togethers around the dining table. ‘People live in families, gangs, posses and packs, it seems we need company before we relax.’ The joy in the text, rhyming of course, is reflected abundantly in the bright, graphic illustrations, which deserve a huge thumbs up. Nila Aye’s colourful, contemporary style portrays every single character with care and individuality, and the whole book hangs together brilliantly. The colours sizzle throughout, and the book will delight readers young and old, and should reach a wide audience, not just fans of Benjamin Zephaniah. Do find it, and enjoy!