This book is at least 20 years old. It was a book for children showing all the different ways people live around the world (what they wear/eat/keep as pets/do for fun). There was little text, and what has stayed with me are the beautiful pen and ink illustrations. I also remember that the last pages showed how boring life would be if everyone was the same: a two-page spread of a street scene with everything all the same in drab colors, and then the next two pages a spread of a vibrant, colorful street scene instead. The book seemed quite large to me as a child, big enough to have lots to look at on each page… perhaps 12″x14″? Most vague of all is my memory of the cover… possibly, it had a drawing of the globe on a white background, and was just called “The World,” though that may be some other book! I’m from the US, but it’s possible this book was brought as a gift from another anglophone country.
Thank you for your help!
I’m guessing it’s People (1980) by the great Dutch-born writer/illustrator Peter Spier. From Wikipedia: “People won a Christopher Award and was one of five finalists for the 1981 National Book Award in category Children’s Nonfiction.” (Don’t confuse it with Spier’s 1987 book, We the People.) Spier is probably best known for illustrating The Cow Who Fell in the Canal (1957). He won the Caldecott Medal for Noah’s Ark (1977).
Oh my great bountiful goodness, I think this is it!!! Thank you so, so much… I’ve been wondering and wishing for years and years. I’m amazed at your sleuthing abilities! Thank you thank you.