Hey You! An empowering celebration of growing up black

About this book

A baby is born to loving parents, and grows up – going to school, making friends. Yet it’s hard for her to find books to read containing girls that look like her. Sometimes, as she grows up, she encounters racism, and life can be very hard. Yet she is reminded that she stands on the shoulders of the great black community that has come before her – and that she has the power to be anything and anyone she wants to be.

This picture book was born out of Adeola’s reaction to the killing of George Floyd and his realisation that, as a child, there were no books he saw that featured black children in a meaningful way. In Hey You! he has created a touching, empowering text that highlights the power of creativity, black heritage, community and family.

Featuring illustration from 18 black artists as well as Adeola himself, this beautiful book also serves as a brilliant directory of work from black illustrators, enabling parents to look up their other books, or keep an eye out for their work in the future. Perfect for new parents and fans of Oliver Jeffers Here We Are, I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C James, and Tami Charles’ and Bryan Collier’s All Because You Matter.

About the author