Bananas, with their creamy texture and bright yellow jacket, are a favourite snack for all kinds of people in a busy 24-hour city. The delivery of a bunch is the catalyst for this clever book, which highlights the connections between people forged through their activities. Workers fix the subway tracks through the night and eat breakfast at dawn. They eat fish caught by fishermen out at sea, on boats lit up with bulbs constructed in a factory. Cities and modern systems are often portrayed as impersonal and lonely, but this picture book instils a sense of solidarity and community by focusing on workers who keep the city alive, and food, which is enjoyed by all.

This translated picture book was originally published in South Korea. Its illustrations are bold and stylish in black, white, and yellow. Like Maurice Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen, Banana Express recognises that curious children wonder about what happens while they are tucked up in bed. It captures the feeling that exciting, interesting and delicious things are always happening in our big, wide world. For ages 3+.