The People Could Fly
From AwardAnnals
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| Author(s) | Virginia Hamilton, Leo Dillon, Diane Dillon |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | American Black Folktales |
| Publisher | Knopf Books for Young Readers |
| Honors | |
| Retold African-American folktales of animals, fantasy, the supernatural, and desire for freedom, born of the sorrow of the slaves, but passed on in hope. | |
Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton tells 24 stories that kept her ancestors' culture alive during slavery, from spirited animal trickster tales and robust tall tales to spine-chilling tales of the supernatural and moving narratives of slaves in search of freedom.
Reviews
Amazon.com
Virginia Hamilton, Newbery Medal winner and recipient of the National Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, teams up with two-time Caldecott Medal winners, Leo and Diane Dillon, in this classic collection of American black folktales, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. By turns droll, grisly, and spine-tingling, the 24 stories celebrate the indomitable human spirit, surviving under the most crushing circumstances of slavery. Traditionally, storytelling has helped people to push through sorrow and pain, especially when the stories are saturated with magic, mysticism, and fantasy. Bruh Rabbit, He Lion, Tar Baby, and other animals populate many of the stories. In others, John, the traditional trickster hero, outwits the slave owner time after time to win his freedom. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter
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