Hamilton, Virginia, 1934-2002. The People Could Fly : the Book of Black Folktales. New York :Knopf, 1985.

The purpose of The People Could Fly is to retell the tales created by slaves brought to America by other countries. These folktales were a creative way for people to express themselves and also pass on stories from their homeland. The stories vary from animal tales to those of the supernatural and all use language that is relevant for the times, though it is clear that the language has been streamlined for storytelling over the years. Hamilton says as much in the introduction.

It is clear that Virginia Hamilton went to great lengths to ensure that this collection is as authentic as it could possibly be. The collection is divided into sections, representing the essential types of black folk tales. Each tale has a short explanation at the end to assist readers in following the plot. Each folktale has one pictorial representation and these illustrations are eerie and very dark. There are no color illustrations. Perhaps this represents the fact that the people telling these stories were forced to give up all of their heritage and adapt to a foreign land and way of life. 

I think this collection is incredibly important. I also think that it would be beneficial for a child to read this with an adult. The language is somewhat difficult at times and the message would be better relayed with a more mature reader. 

Selected by Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak. Translated by Lore Segal, with four tales translated by Randall Jarrell. Pictures by Maurice Sendak. (1973). The juniper tree, and other tales from Grimm. New York :Farrar, Straus and Giroux

This collection is an interesting one. Some of these tales I have never heard and others, heard a hundred times. The purpose of these retellings is not very well outlined, but it is clear in the introduction that contributors wanted to update some of the classics. The authority behind these tales has much to do with the translations. It is made clear that Sendak and Seagal both had been very faithful to the German texts, not straying from those old classics. It seems to be a translation mostly for children. Even the size of the book leads the viewer to believe that. The book is a small one, easily carried by a child. The illustrations, though not many in quantity, harken back to the times of the original texts. They have an old, dreamy quality to them. They conjure the imagination and seem perfectly in vogue for the 1970s. 

There is a real vintage feel about this whole collection and rightfully, it is vintage! I’m not sure how this would hold up for modern children. In fact, this was not readily available at my school/local libraries. I had to order it and it did take some time. That makes me wonder if it has lost its appeal over the years. Especially considering some of the flashier adaptations of some of these, namely Hansel and Gretel. It is quite interesting to think about these adaptations changing and growing throughout the years.