What do you think?
Rate this book
We Could Fly
A Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner
In a companion to Build a House, Rhiannon Giddens--Grammy Award winner and cofounder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops—gives wing to a moving tale of grace and transcendence, with acclaimed artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu.
At a sparrow's urging, a young girl feels a mysterious trembling in her arms, a lightness in her feet, a longing to be free. Her mother tells her that her Granny Liza experienced the same, as did many of their people before her. Perhaps it's time, Mama says, to slip the bonds of earth and join the journey started long ago? To hold each other tight and rise? Drawing on song lyrics, which in turn draw on a heritage of African folklore, this incantatory dialogue between a mother and daughter paired with startlingly beautiful illustrations celebrates love, resilience, and the spiritual power of the "old-time ways"—tradition and shared cultural memory—to sustain and uplift.
In a companion to Build a House, Rhiannon Giddens--Grammy Award winner and cofounder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops—gives wing to a moving tale of grace and transcendence, with acclaimed artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu.
At a sparrow's urging, a young girl feels a mysterious trembling in her arms, a lightness in her feet, a longing to be free. Her mother tells her that her Granny Liza experienced the same, as did many of their people before her. Perhaps it's time, Mama says, to slip the bonds of earth and join the journey started long ago? To hold each other tight and rise? Drawing on song lyrics, which in turn draw on a heritage of African folklore, this incantatory dialogue between a mother and daughter paired with startlingly beautiful illustrations celebrates love, resilience, and the spiritual power of the "old-time ways"—tradition and shared cultural memory—to sustain and uplift.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published November 7, 2023
About the author
Rhiannon Giddens
9 books30 followersRhiannon Giddens cofounded the Grammy Award–winning Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Black female supergroup Our Native Daughters. She is the recipient of a 2022 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for her collaboration with Francesco Turrisi on They’re Calling Me Home, and she has been nominated for additional Grammys as a soloist and collaborator. A musician, singer, songwriter, actor, librettist, and MacArthur Fellow, her many roles and honors include serving as artistic director at Silkroad and performing for the Obamas at the White House. Rhiannon Giddens lives in Ireland.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 24, 2024
Read for my toddler's bedtime. Mother daughter bond. Beautiful illustration. Mother daughter watches the bird take flight and the daughter wants to fly too so the mother takes her daughter's hand and they fly high.. there's talk of ancestors being able to fly so it makes sense that the daughter felt the urge to fly..
Thank you Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review.
March 25, 2024
Thank you Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful book.
Both the written content and the illustrations are lovely.
I knew the time had come, there was something in the air and
When I saw the Random House box, I knew not to despair!
There would be another lovely something to read
And I knew that it would speak to my need.
I appreciate the book's expression of positivity and imagination offered for the young reader.
The imagery is truly uplifting and I believe that I could fly, safely with my Mother, of course,
so we could search for the promised land.
The author's note at the back of the book also provided meaningful background.
Recommend especially for readers six to nine (according to Amazon).
Both the written content and the illustrations are lovely.
I knew the time had come, there was something in the air and
When I saw the Random House box, I knew not to despair!
There would be another lovely something to read
And I knew that it would speak to my need.
I appreciate the book's expression of positivity and imagination offered for the young reader.
The imagery is truly uplifting and I believe that I could fly, safely with my Mother, of course,
so we could search for the promised land.
The author's note at the back of the book also provided meaningful background.
Recommend especially for readers six to nine (according to Amazon).
July 1, 2024
A beautifully illustrated book that presents the lyrics of a song of liberation with its foundation in slave times and its relevance in spiritual and psychological realms.
January 23, 2024
2024 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner.
Spencer rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Spencer rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.
February 21, 2024
An uplifting book with soft but powerful illustrations. Look closely at the backgrounds!
There is a beautiful, animated video of this book on Youtube with Rhiannon Giddens singing the lyrics. Very moving!
This book one the Coretta Scott Kins John Steptoe award for new talent illustrator.
There is a beautiful, animated video of this book on Youtube with Rhiannon Giddens singing the lyrics. Very moving!
This book one the Coretta Scott Kins John Steptoe award for new talent illustrator.
January 28, 2024
We Could Fly by Rhiannon Giddens is a companion to her last book Build a House. We Could Fly is a lyrical conversation between a mother and daughter. Their dialogue is musical like a Negro spiritual and has an ancestral connection. We Could Fly also speaks to the ongoing search for freedom that African-Americans experience to this day.
Ancestral Memory
There is a theme of connection to ones ancestry and ancestral memory that runs through the book. The mentioning of the grandmother throughout the book and her connection to "the old-time ways" is significant to her daughter's curiosity in the conversation. African folklore is the basis of the story as it references the story "The People Could Fly" (see below.)
"The People Could Fly" Context
I would recommend reading the story "The People Could Fly" in the book of the same name by the great Virginia Hamilton to give you some additional context. The People Could Fly is one of my favorite African-American folktales and has been since I was a child. It tells the story of those who were enslaved, but eventually escaped slavery by remembering the magic of the ancestors gifted them by flying away to freedom.
Illustrations
I love the color palette incorporated into the illustrations through most of the book. It reminds me of sunrises and sunsets. Sky imagery dominates the pages which makes sense since the story is about flying figuratively and literally.
Ancestral Memory
There is a theme of connection to ones ancestry and ancestral memory that runs through the book. The mentioning of the grandmother throughout the book and her connection to "the old-time ways" is significant to her daughter's curiosity in the conversation. African folklore is the basis of the story as it references the story "The People Could Fly" (see below.)
"The People Could Fly" Context
I would recommend reading the story "The People Could Fly" in the book of the same name by the great Virginia Hamilton to give you some additional context. The People Could Fly is one of my favorite African-American folktales and has been since I was a child. It tells the story of those who were enslaved, but eventually escaped slavery by remembering the magic of the ancestors gifted them by flying away to freedom.
Illustrations
I love the color palette incorporated into the illustrations through most of the book. It reminds me of sunrises and sunsets. Sky imagery dominates the pages which makes sense since the story is about flying figuratively and literally.
September 24, 2024
Beautiful story, beautiful illustrations, beautiful song on which it is based (a story passed down in Rhiannon Giddens family).
Reading challeng: A picture book published in the last five years
Reading challeng: A picture book published in the last five years
January 13, 2024
To me a children's picture book is more than a beautifully illustrated work or a song lyric from a professional musical artist--it is a comprehending story that is relatable to young children when read aloud. I am an adult and I don't get the flying references. I work with Pre-K through Grade 5 as a librarian, and I can say from experience that little ones, in general, are literal thinkers. The figurative theme of flying is not clear to me and so when I see people flying up to the sky, I think of ascending spirits as in death or when I see people going off into the sky from water, I think of suicide. Particularly in this book because the ship on the page in the distance could be a slave ship, I think of the captured Afrikaans who jumped off the side of the ship to avoid whatever they perceived would happen to them on that slave ship. The only two people in the book--mother and daughter--both are wearing white, which in my mind symbolizes purity and being angelic. Again, it makes me think of death in that you may be bound on earth but not in heaven. If this is the intent of the author and illustrator, then I get it--I just don't think it is age-appropriate for an elementary audience without some present-day relatable non-figurative connection.
February 22, 2024
Rhiannon Giddens now has two songs rendered as picture books, and the artists have each done a stunning job envisioning the stories told in each song.
Build a House and We Could Fly both address the topic of Black freedom. We Could Fly is timeless and can be interpreted to refer to freedom in different capacities. The indistinct figures in the background can be interpreted as historic, but the words and illustrations taken together move the reader to consider ancestry and future and what freedoms are held at the present moment.
Build a House is a story of human resilience. Readers follow a family who lives through the history of Black experiences in America, from enslavement to emancipation to segregation and racial persecution. Ultimately, the family establishes a home and life in peace. Giddens and Mikai do not shy away from painful subjects, but they also do not cast the family as pitiable. Rather, the reader is guided toward an appreciation for strength of spirit, the important role of loved ones in times of grief, and the power of music (unsurprisingly, music is an important theme throughout both books). Build a House is a moving picture book - you won't want to skip the back matter either.
Both We Could Fly and Build a House a stunning!
Build a House and We Could Fly both address the topic of Black freedom. We Could Fly is timeless and can be interpreted to refer to freedom in different capacities. The indistinct figures in the background can be interpreted as historic, but the words and illustrations taken together move the reader to consider ancestry and future and what freedoms are held at the present moment.
Build a House is a story of human resilience. Readers follow a family who lives through the history of Black experiences in America, from enslavement to emancipation to segregation and racial persecution. Ultimately, the family establishes a home and life in peace. Giddens and Mikai do not shy away from painful subjects, but they also do not cast the family as pitiable. Rather, the reader is guided toward an appreciation for strength of spirit, the important role of loved ones in times of grief, and the power of music (unsurprisingly, music is an important theme throughout both books). Build a House is a moving picture book - you won't want to skip the back matter either.
Both We Could Fly and Build a House a stunning!
November 19, 2023
Rhiannon says in her author's note that she grew up listening to the tales from "The People Could Fly", stories collected by Virginia Hamilton , especially loved the final "magical" one where 'People Could Fly'. When working with a producer to finish her album, "Freedom Highway", they thought they needed one more song. Rhiannon shared about that favorite story and a song was born!
A mother's child tells her she feels a tingling in her arms and her mother says that her mother, Granny Liza, felt that, too, long years ago. "Perhaps it's time. . ." and this poetic story begins as shown with ethereal illustrations by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. There is breathtaking beauty in this book, and you can find the song, with the book's words and illustrations, on YouTube. The words in the book differ only slightly.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!
A mother's child tells her she feels a tingling in her arms and her mother says that her mother, Granny Liza, felt that, too, long years ago. "Perhaps it's time. . ." and this poetic story begins as shown with ethereal illustrations by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. There is breathtaking beauty in this book, and you can find the song, with the book's words and illustrations, on YouTube. The words in the book differ only slightly.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!
November 9, 2023
This book is a book of an amazing mother to her loving child and/or children…and more.
👧🏻 review: I read this first and the message in the book is strong and powerful. This book is sharing a mother’s love to her daughter while encouraging her to know her own story. The book is so perfect to be read to little boys and girls about their own stories and what is out there for him/her someday. I love this book, it is so innocent yet so important because my parents always remind us of our own past and what could be out there for us someday. Very beautiful because of the images, colors, illustrations and the poetic words.
👧🏻 review: I read this first and the message in the book is strong and powerful. This book is sharing a mother’s love to her daughter while encouraging her to know her own story. The book is so perfect to be read to little boys and girls about their own stories and what is out there for him/her someday. I love this book, it is so innocent yet so important because my parents always remind us of our own past and what could be out there for us someday. Very beautiful because of the images, colors, illustrations and the poetic words.
January 27, 2024
2024 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award: “We Could Fly,” illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, and written by Rhiannon Giddens based on the song “We Could Fly” by Rhiannon Giddens nd Dirk Powell.
The author grew up cherishing “The People Could Fly,” the classic anthology of Black American folktales collected and retold by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. The final story in that book inspired the song that inspired this book. The magic thread of storytelling continues and the ethereal artwork of Briana Mukodiri Uchendu brings the vision to life.
The author grew up cherishing “The People Could Fly,” the classic anthology of Black American folktales collected and retold by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. The final story in that book inspired the song that inspired this book. The magic thread of storytelling continues and the ethereal artwork of Briana Mukodiri Uchendu brings the vision to life.
January 31, 2024
Giddens wrote the song as a tribute to Virginia Hamilton's bookThe People Could Fly: American Black Folktales. Now it is a beautiful book dedicated to Hamilton and the Dillions and to people whose feet were bound, but their souls still flew.
Maybe more of a 4.5 (Hopefully some readers will check out Hamilton's book.) and worthy of the John Steptoe New Illustrator talent Award.
Maybe more of a 4.5 (Hopefully some readers will check out Hamilton's book.) and worthy of the John Steptoe New Illustrator talent Award.
March 2, 2024
A little girl sees a sparrow and shows her mother. Her mother tells her the story of her grandmother, who each night would fly like the birds. The grandmother had noticed that the girl was like her. Where would she go if she could fly away?
Based on Rhiannon Giddens' song, the text is lyrical and beautiful. Uchendu's illustrations are colorful and gorgeous - particularly the pictures of the girl flying. The author's note is definitely worth reading - a tribute to cultural picture books. The characters are black
Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com
Based on Rhiannon Giddens' song, the text is lyrical and beautiful. Uchendu's illustrations are colorful and gorgeous - particularly the pictures of the girl flying. The author's note is definitely worth reading - a tribute to cultural picture books. The characters are black
Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com
November 12, 2023
I don't have children; I bought this book because I'm a big fan of Rhiannon Giddens' music and also the artwork looked amazing. The song the book is based on is a beautiful and joyful story of family magic and communal magic. It chokes me up every time. The words pared with Briana Mukodiri Uchendu's absolutely stunning illustrations make this book a treasure. I hope it makes its way into many childrens' libraries.
January 24, 2024
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award: “We Could Fly,” illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, is the 2024 Steptoe illustrator award winner. The book is written by Rhiannon Giddens. This book uses the gorgeous lyrics from the author’s folk song. https://youtu.be/LFitzERXbqg?si=7Ux07... The colors are radiant, yet subtly muted. Across generations, the characters continue to search for the promised land. Superb.
Read
February 27, 2024Absolutely beautiful words and illustrations. The feelings of hope and resilience and connectedness to our ancestors live in every page through the colors and the beautiful mother/daughter relationship. The folklore tales that inspired Gidden’ and Powell’s song translated beautifully into the visual rich pastel art by Uchendu. A great addition to any collection and a beautiful ode to Black families and generations and their power that’s already inside thanks to all those who have lived before.
July 4, 2023
5 stars
In the tradition of Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly, We Could Fly remembers a time when those of African descent could fly and weaves tat oral tradition with the tradition of passing along stories that give hope as a young girl in seeing a sparrow tells her mother she feels a stirring to fly.
I read a digital advanced reader's copy courtesy of the publisher.
In the tradition of Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly, We Could Fly remembers a time when those of African descent could fly and weaves tat oral tradition with the tradition of passing along stories that give hope as a young girl in seeing a sparrow tells her mother she feels a stirring to fly.
I read a digital advanced reader's copy courtesy of the publisher.
January 8, 2024
I was in Target and saw this book. The first thing that caught my eye was the brown skin mother and daughter. When I read it, I loved the story instantly. Although short, it is short and sweet. I also love the symbolism in this book as well, it gives me a warm cozy feeling. The size of the book and the pictures made me feel like a kid again. I recommend for children and adults.
January 23, 2024
Reading this, I kept thinking of The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales and, sure enough, it's right there in the author notes... she is a lifelong fan and this is inspired by that fantastic classic book.
February 1, 2024
Gorgeous picture book! I also loved Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly from the very first time I read it. This picture book based on a song based on that book is a perfect tonal match. Paying homage to the history and heritage behind the classic, while also exploring the themes anew. The illustrations are ethereal and full of color and love.
February 12, 2024
From artwork to powerful content, this is an amazing book, and if you hear it with the song... I dare you not to tear up. We are pulled into the pride of memory and tradition, mention of three generations, the little girl and her mother, and Granny Liza. Granny flew every night, nothing and no one kept her down.
The size and format are perfect and I can't stop rereading it. It's very beautiful.
The size and format are perfect and I can't stop rereading it. It's very beautiful.
February 18, 2024
I loved this lyrical kids picture book by Rhiannon Giddens, with gorgeous illustrations by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu.
We Could Fly is about connecting with your ancestors, and flying to new heights. It's about the bond between a mother and her child, the hopes and wishes for a life filled with peace and love.
This is a wonderful kids book to read.
We Could Fly is about connecting with your ancestors, and flying to new heights. It's about the bond between a mother and her child, the hopes and wishes for a life filled with peace and love.
This is a wonderful kids book to read.
June 16, 2024
This picture book feels so much like the spirituals and books regarding the strength and power of finding your own way. I have read books about Harriet Tubman with this feeling and Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly classic folktale book, but never felt this in a picture book before.
Beautifully illustrated, as well!
Beautifully illustrated, as well!
December 28, 2023
3 stars (I liked it)
I am not familiar with Rhiannon Giddens or her song that the book is based off of.
I think the illustrations were absolutely beautiful but the story in the text is not super clear.
This might be one of those picture books that was made for adults and not kids.
I am not familiar with Rhiannon Giddens or her song that the book is based off of.
I think the illustrations were absolutely beautiful but the story in the text is not super clear.
This might be one of those picture books that was made for adults and not kids.
March 15, 2024
Beautiful book that depicts an historical injustice in our country through a retelling of a Black American folktale through the words of musician and activist Rhiannon Giddens and the illustrations of Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. The text by Giddens is a song on her soon to be released new album.
Want to read
April 15, 2023Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
November 14, 2023
The illustrations are glorious, but it's hard to find the rhythm of the text if you are not already familiar with the song the book is based on (which I was not). Still, it's lovely.
December 12, 2023
Gorgeous illustrations in this picture book by Rhiannon Giddens. One can almost hear Giddens singing this story in her unique style.
Highly Recommended.
Highly Recommended.
Read
December 15, 2023Turn/Level: 1/3
African heritage, mother/daughter
Both creators are black.
African heritage, mother/daughter
Both creators are black.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews