People [Paperback]

Peter Spier (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Caldecott Medalist has created his most  ambitious and impressive picture book so far, with  minutely detailed and exquisite paintings of human  beings on all four continents."  -- Publishers Weekly, starred  review.

"A wonderful introduction to a global  view that will answer and arouse curiosity in the  young and act as an absorbing reminder for any age."  -- School Library Journal.

The  Christopher Award, An American Bookseller Pick of  the Lists.

From the Back Cover

"The Caldecott Medalist has created his most ambitious and impressive picture book so far, with minutely detailed and exquisite paintings of human beings on all four continents." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review.

"A wonderful introduction to a global view that will answer and arouse curiosity in the young and act as an absorbing reminder for any age." -- School Library Journal.

The Christopher Award, An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers (April 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038524469X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385244695
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 0.1 x 13 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It may be Spier's best, April 10, 2006

By 

Chrijeff (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: People (Paperback)

Without moralizing or mawkishness, Spier here portrays something of the amazing variety of human life on Earth. He points out that "we come in many colors," with different-looking features; that we dress in different ways, enjoy different things, have different personalities, live in different homes, speak (and write) different languages (including a wonderful double-page spread showing samples of 40 separate writing systems!), keep different pets, celebrate different holidays and worship in different ways; that "some of us excel at things others could never do," that "there are more different ways of [earning a living] than you would believe." Yet, he quietly observes, "without a single exception, we all began quite small...and in the end we all must die." Though he never uses the phrase "the brotherhood of man," he manages to get across that, in the most important ways, we are all alike--and, at the same time, he celebrates our diversity ("Imagine how dreadfully dull this world of ours would be if everybody would look, think, eat, dress, and act the same!"). He never exalts one way of life over another, but fills his pages with his trademark detailed, action-filled color sketches and gives each of his examples its moment in the sun. This is a book that not only the youngest kids, but teens coping with the Herd Instinct should read, and that adults can enjoy for its tone and beautiful artwork. Every home and library should own a copy of it. May it never go out of print!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not outdated- just as relevant as ever, September 13, 2006

By 

Elizabeth (Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: People (Paperback)

I got this book as a child and was one of my favorites. It is a beautiful celebration of diversity and universality in human cultures and appearance.

I disagree that the representation of different groups is outdated or stereotyped: perhaps in the United States everyone is encouraged to "blend in" but I have travelled to many countries where people happily wear their traditional dress and markings, like in the book. Anyway, it is a celebration of the diversity that still exists in the world, not a representation of how all people would look if forced to sit in a U.S. immigrant interview or something.

This is a book about the whole world, not ethnic groups as they live in the U.S. or U.K. or Europe. Although many people from far-away countries put on our dress when they come here or work in their own big cities for international companies, that does not mean that they do not still have their own traditions, or that their distant relatives in those countries do not have their own traditions.

It will be a sad day when we can truly say that the diversity shown in this book no longer exists, but that all people now wear more or less the same clothes, have the same beauty standards, and do the same sorts of jobs.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Celebrate People, October 4, 2000

By 

Darren (Jersey Shore, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Zephyr Books) (School & Library Binding)

This is a great book to get children (and even some adults) beyond egocentric thinking, to expose them to diverse cultural icons and to the celebration of individual differences. Each page is richly illustrated in colorful "where's waldo-esque" detail, providing plenty of stimulation to keep children focused and interested through its entirety. Some of the visual images do reflect outdated cultural stereotypes, but do not detract from the main theme.