When I wrote Wish, I incorporated one of my favorite picture books into the narrative by having Genna read Christopher Myers’ Wings to her baby brother. This time around, I’ve got Genna searching for signs of magic, which leads her to discover Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly. For half a year after graduating from college, I worked in a black bookstore in Toronto—to this day, certain book covers are fixed in my mind because it was my job to display the books and everything was placed on the shelf face forward to take up space. The Dillons’ illustrations work on me like some kind of enchantment—I can gaze at them for hours! I’m looking forward to meeting them at the upcoming A is for Anansi conference in October. Right now I’m writing the chapter where Genna asks her mother to tell her a fairy tale and instead is handed a tattered second-hand copy of The People Could Fly…I’m at 47.5K words and am aiming for 50K by the time Masterpiece Theatre comes on tomorrow night…
I wasn’t lying when I said I look to you for book recommendations! Both of these I just placed on hold for me at the library. “The People Could Fly” looks incredibly familiar. I wonder if I read this as a child or just gazed wonderingly at the cover.
Well, it was 1994 when I worked in that bookstore, so I’m definitely behind the times! but some books make a strong impression. heading out to the farmer’s market for pie now….
Mmmm. Pie. I still haven’t had one this season. I need to get on that. I just read “Wings” and loved it. Beautiful story and artwork.
wow–you’re fast! I think Wings is his best…
The Dillon’s illustrations for the People Could Fly are so beautiful. I have seen other editions but they don’t compare, there’s no magic.
I would never think Zetta’s mom would own a copy of The People Could Fly. But its nice to know even Zetta’ mom took sometime for herself to dream.
Zetta, you get tom meet all the original rock stars
Hey, Doret–I’ll try to take lots of photos at the conference! I’m not always bold enough to step up and introduce myself…
Genna’s mom buys her kids the “good for you books”–black inventors, Sojourner Truth’s biography, etc. I find folktales didn’t really appeal to me as a child–if Disney hadn’t done the Brer Rabbit stories in the horrific Song of the South, I never would have known about them…when I teach them at the college level, students groan b/c they’re often quite short and the dialect is hard to follow sometimes. Hamilton’s collection is much more accessible…
Both are beautiful. Thanks for this post.
my pleasure!