THE PEOPLE COULD FLY: American Black Folktales by Hamilton, Virginia; Dillon, Leo; Dillon, Diane - 1985

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985. First edition. Fine in fine jacket. Inscribed first printing of the Coretta Scott King Award winner, signed by Hamilton, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon, and with advance review materials laid in. THE PEOPLE COULD FLY starts with Bruh (Brer) Rabbit stories, but moving onto African folktales, Gullah myths, and traditional stories of people escaping slavery. In addition to the lavish and fantastical illustrations by the Dillons, the work is full of educational detail, including a footnote about Juneteenth and a rich bibliography. It begins with a stark introduction by Hamilton, describing the conditions of slavery under which the stories were formed: "These tales were created out of sorrow. But the hearts and minds of the black people who formed them, expanded them, and passed them on to us were full of love and hope. We must look on the tales as a celebration of the human spirit. Remember the voices from the past." 10'' x 8''. Original quarter green cloth, grey paper boards. In original unclipped ($12.95) color pictorial dust jacket with illustration by the Dillons. Light blue endpapers. Illustrated by the Dillons in color throughout. xii, 178, [2] pages. Inscribed by the Dillons "To ____ / Diane Dillon / Leo Dillon 1990" on the half title, and signed by Hamilton in black ink below. Advance review materials laid in.