LIS 721 Reading Response Corner

  Hamilton, Virginia; illustrated by Dillion, Diane and Dillion, Leo . The People Could Fly . Alfred A. Knopf , 1985 . A ge s 4-8.        This collection opens with an introduction that contextualizes the background of the included black folktales. This collection aims to educate and share the historic folktales with modern audiences. This collection is comprised of 4 sections and a total of 24 folktales. The 4 sections in which these folktales are grouped are "Animal Tales", "Tales of the Real, Extravagant, and Fanciful", "Tales of the Supernatural", and "Slave Tales of Freedom". The folktales included are written in Gullah English, a black English dialect, and include a note at the end of each folktale giving more insight into the meaning.       The collection was created by Virginia Hamilton, a celebrated children's author who won every major children's literature award and classified her work as "liberation literature." Th...

  Campoy, F. Isabel and Ada, Alma Flor . Tales Our Abuelitas Told: a Hispanic Folktale Collection . Atheneum Books for Young Readers , 2006 . A ge s 5-10.        Tales Our Abuelas Told is a collection of 12 Hispanic Folktales by authors F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. Their purpose is to share with readers stories passed on by grandmothers of different cultures, including some tales they grew up hearing from their grandmothers. Each tale is followed by an about section that provides insight into the historical context of the folktale and the author's choices. Each folktale feels thoughtfully researched and selected because of the care the authors put into credit the origins and ensuring the audience understand the context. The collection opens with a welcome section discussing the geographic and historical context of where the folktales come from. It includes details such as what was happening during the time and what cultures influenced each other. Both a...