People at Work: The Policeman

by Vera Southgate, John Berry (Illustrator)

The Policeman 'People at Work' (A Ladybird 'Easy-Reading' Book)

52 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Sophie Crane]

This book has dated more than most in this 20 issue series. The front cover which shows a police man using a police box ("In most towns there are police boxes on the streets".) which virtually any reader under 50 would call a Tardis now. This Ladybird book has probably been parodied more online (and possibly in print) than any other title in about the approximately 800 that have been issued.
This is probably not only due to its content appearing dated as the two authors refer to eight hours a day being spent by a policeman (only one page mentions policewomen) on the beat rather than being concealed from the public doing paperwork but because some of the illustrations do not appear drawn to scale. Page 13 appears to show an eight foot copper and page 27 illustrates what appears to be a toy police car escorting a large army vehicle.
The series as a whole began in 1962 and the final title was published in 1973. They are in the "Easy Reading" range which was an excellent idea as it involved real life rather than over simplified accounts and pictures of home life which showed images of girls in frocks and hair ribbons performing tasks such as baking or bed-making with a smiling mother while boys in shorts and Start-rite shoes helped a pipe-smoking father to clean the car or rake leaves.

[Judith Johnson]

Love the illustrations, very nostalgic. Sadly, through no fault of the police force, cutbacks over the decades since this was published mean that their presence is not what it was.

[Paul Pryce]

Probably slightly dated now but still a great book.