The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton and Leo and Diane Dillon ill. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.

ISBN: 978-0-375-84553-6

Annotation: This picture book is a new edition in tribute to Virginia Hamilton (it was first published in 1985)  a mythical tale in lyrical prose, first told through oral tradition about the slaves who could fly. Word-for word CD narration accompanies the book by James Earl Jones and Virginia Hamilton herself.

Curricular Connections: 5-8th grades: Folk Tales, Slavery, US History, Language Arts,

Simile:  “They flew like blackbirds over the fields. Black shiny wings flappin against the blue up there.”

Metaphor: “They flew in a flock that was black against the heavenly blue. Black crows or black shadows. It didn’t matter they flew so high.”  “…their Master. Say he was a hard lump of clay. A hard, glinty coal. A hard rock pile, wouldn’t be moved.”

Rhythm: The story is told in lyrical verse to remind us of the oral tradition in which this story was originally told from slave to slave. “ They say the people could fly. Say that long ago in Africa, some of the people knew magic. And they wouold walk up on the air like climbin up on a gate. And they flew like blackbirds over the field. Black shiny wings flappin against the blue up there.”

AWARDS: Some of the many awards for this book include the Coretta Scott King Award, Booklist Children’s Editors Choice, New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and School Library Journal Best Books of the Year Award.

Media: paintings

Aspects of Artwork: The illustrators utilize two page illustrative spreads using shadows and light and rich, deep, color hued paintings, from oppression to freedom, and sadness to hope. There is a smaller view of the illustration on the left page, and a full size, additional detail illustration on the right. There is framing on three sides of each page, with the top of the page, open with no border to draw the eyes upward to the ascending figures. The larger scenes seem to continue beyond the frames. The final illustration is a further tribute to Hamilton, with her flying in kente cloth and costume smiling above a loving family below.

Rating: 5Q/4P

RAC 7.30.09

 

 

 

The people could fly: The picture book by Virginia Hamilton, Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon, ill. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2004.

ISBN-13: 978-0-37582-405-0

Annotation: In a classic retelling of an African folktale, unhappy slaves are reminded of their heritage and are able to fly away to freedom.

Age Range: 5-8 grades

Media used by illustrator: full-color portraits

Personal Rating: 5Q/4P

Curricular Connections: perfect for a lower elementary history class focusing on slavery

 

ateater/07-25-09

 

Hamilton, Virginia. (1985). The people could fly: the picture book (revised 2004). Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Knopf.  0375824057 

 

 

Richly colored paintings with effective use of light capture folklore from the era of slavery when tortured slaves, with the magical assistance of an elder, escape the brutality of their masters by flying away. Hamilton’s storytelling carries a rhythm from the oral tradition and integrates other devices like onomatopoeia, repetition, and metaphor. 

 

 

 Rating: 5Q/3P

 

 

Students studying the era of slavery will find supportive material in this book that brings to life the folklore of slaves flying away from the fields of their brutal masters. It supports the study of other folklore and traditions from the slaves and African cultures, like call-response and coding in song. Hamilton’s poetic writing employs devices of metaphor, alliteration, and onomatopoeia that can be used in the study of literature.

 

 

Metaphor:

Hamilton presents folklore from the era of slavery when tortured slaves, with the magical assistance of an elder, escape the brutality of their masters by flying away. Hamilton’s storytelling carries a rhythm from the oral tradition and integrates other devices like onomatopoeia, repetition, and metaphor. Her metaphoric description of the Master evokes sympathy for the slaves and is indicative of the grim existence they lived: “Say he was a hard lump of clay. A hard, glinty coal. A hard rock pile, wouldn't be moved.”

 

Onomatopoeia:

Hamilton presents folklore from the era of slavery when tortured slaves, with the magical assistance of an elder, escape the brutality of their masters by flying away. Hamilton’s storytelling carries a rhythm from the oral tradition and integrates other devices like onomatopoeia, repetition, and metaphor. Examples of her use of onomatopoeia include descriptions of those special slaves who were known to fly:  “Black, shiny wings flappin against the blue up there.”  In another, one can almost hear the wielding of the whip: “That whip was a slice-open cut of pain.”

 

TK 4/29/08

 

The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton and Leo & Diane Dillon, ills. New York: Knopf, 1985.  0-6798-4336-1

 

Annotation: Retold Afro-American folktales born of the sorrows of slaves passed on in hope.

Media: black and white pen & ink

Rating: 6th-10th 4Q/4P

 

lvanburen/06-09

 

The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton and Leo and Diane Dillon ill. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0679843368

A retold African folktale involving a slave escape fantasy that is richly illustrated are thick with poetic devices like repetition, metaphor and onomatopoeia.

   - Media: Pen and Ink, Color
   - Rating: 5Q/4P

   - Curricular Connections: Grades 5-9 Social Studies, History, Language Arts

CHA 8/1/09

 

 

 

 

TK 4/20/08