English Cymraeg

Benjamin Zephaniah’s People Need People

Name: Benjamin Zephaniah’s People Need People
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

by Benjamin Zephaniah, illustrated by Nila Aye

Interest age: 4 to 5

Published by Hachette Children’s Group, 2022

Picture books
Poetry and rhyme

About this book

To walk to, to talk to, to cry and rely on, people will always need people.

Benjamin Zephaniah’s uplifting rhyming text shares the many reasons why people need other people. People are very useful – to play with, to learn from and to hug! The delightful illustrations by Nila Aye show people interacting in all sorts of situations – in the park, the nursery, the airport and a family feast, to name a few. Every child is having fun in the pictures, and between them they represent a large variety of ethnicities. Everyone in the world needs people, after all!

It is impossible to read this book and not smile. The poem is perfect to read aloud, as you’d expect from a prize-winning poet, and the cheery yellow endpapers, peppered with smiling faces, set the tone for pleasure from the moment you open the covers. This is a wonderful celebration of community and connection.

A joyous book to share, with charming details to spot on every spread.

About the author

Benjamin Zephaniah was a pioneer of the performance poetry scene. He recorded albums, wrote plays for stage, radio and television, and wrote poetry for children, adults, and novels for teenagers. He was also an actor and television presenter. His message was one of unity, peace and expression through creativity. He held 16 honorary doctorates and was visiting professor at De Montfort University and Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University.

His autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, was nominated for two major awards and he toured often with his band. Benjamin lived in Lincolnshire for much of his later life.

Benjamin passed away on 7 December 2023.

Diana Gerald, Chief Executive of BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, said:

“Everyone at BookTrust is devastated to hear the news about one of the nation’s favouritepoets Benjamin Zephaniah.

“Benjamin Zephaniah was a pioneer of the performance poetry scene. He recorded albums, wrote plays for stage, radio and television, and he wrote poetry for children, adults, and novels for teenagers. He was also an actor and television presenter. His message was one of unity, peace and expression through creativity. He held 16 honorary doctorates and was visiting professor at De Montfort University and Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University.

“His fiction and poetry collections for older children, including Face, Gangsta Rap, Teacher’s Dead, Refugee Boy and Terror Kid and Windrush Child, have become thought-provoking beloved classics to be treasured forever by children and the adults they turn into, and by teachers.

“His picture book with Nila Aye, Nature Trail, was shortlisted for the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2023, because it brought wonder and joy in nature to children. Benjamin’s energy and love for words and their ability to change children's lives will be sorely missed.”

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