The People Remember uses a rhythmic and poetic style to link the seven principles of Kwanzaa to the history of African descendants in the Americas.
The book begins with Africans being stolen from their homes; Ashanti, Fulani, Ibo, Yoruba, Akan and many other peoples were bound and taken across the ocean to the Americas. When "they landed on the shores/ of South Carolina and Virginia,/ Hispaniola and Brazil," speaking different tongues, they had to learn how to communicate with each other in order to become "all one." The people remember slavery, freedom and the Great Migration "to new lands,/ to new borders" where they could grow and eat a slice of the American pie. But it wasn't easy. The accounts of historical resilience and solidarity work together, building to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, such as Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination) or Nia (purpose).
Accompanying Ibi Zoboi's inspirational text is Loveis Wise's digitally rendered artwork. Wise (Say Her Name) creates bold, jewel-toned illustrations that break literal boundaries--a lick of flame, a leg outstretched in dance, a flying bird that acts as an artistic interpretation of poetry all slide across the gutter to make double-page spreads. This, the detailed faces and the intricate backgrounds of Black people perfectly reflect Zoboi's words and show that the people, their creativity and their faith cannot be boxed in. In her debut picture book, Zoboi (Punching the Air; American Street) invites people of all ages to dive into a lyrical telling of the plight of African descendants in the Americas, their tenacious spirits and their ability to find their own culture. --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer