About the Holiday

This week Juneteenth became America’s eleventh federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery and celebrates the historical date of June 19, 1865, when Union army general Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas to read “General Order #3,” which proclaimed the emancipation of the 250,000 slaves held in Texas. On the one-year anniversary of the proclamation, freedmen in Texas organized the first Jubilee Day, which became an annual event. Celebrations later spread across the south and then nationwide. The day includes parades, festivals, music, readings by prominent African American writers, educational events and barbecues, complete with refreshing strawberry soda. You can learn more about Juneteenth on the website for the Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Juneteenth Is

Written by Natasha Tripplett | Illustrated by Daniel O’Brien

Juneteenth starts early for one young girl who’s awakened by the tantalizing aroma of brisket in her father’s smoker. Before the sun is fully risen, she, her family, and the whole neighborhood are heading out to the center of town to find a spot and set their chairs to watch the parade. As a group of young dancers passes by, accompanied by a freedom song on the horns, the girl’s mama calls them a “hope for tomorrow.”

Following the parade the girl’s extended family gather at her grandaddy’s house, where black, red, and green flags join hugs, fist bumps, and forehead kisses in welcome. The girl says, “Warmth floods my soul. Juneteenth is being thankful to be together.” Soon the house is full of aunties and uncles, cousins, neighbors, and play-cousins. Music fills the air from the boombox. “Juneteenth is ladies singing in the kitchen.” After sweet watermelon and a pickup game, it’s time for dinner. Everyone circles the table, holding hands. “Juneteenth is prayer.”

But this meal of old family recipes and reminiscences represents more—”Red in the sauce, red in the soda, red in the watermelon, red velvet cake. Red in the suffering.”—and the history of this holiday now takes center stage. As the girl and her young cousins look at the wall of family photographs, Grandaddy explains that Juneteenth is “about the door of opportunity no longer slamming in our faces” and “remembering lives long before our memories. Sweat on our brows. Cotton in our fingers. The straw that broke our mighty back.” The girl feels her history deep in her heart.

Grandaddy then talks about June 19, 1865—The American Day of Freedom, when General Granger came to Galveston, Texas and read the Proclamation that freed slaves. The day two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a freedom that looked into a future forged by leaders like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama and demonstrated with the first Juneteenth parade in 1866 and fought for and defended with marches ever since.

As the day ends, the girl’s family congregates in the yard for a final photograph. “Juneteenth is all of us,” she says. “We are America.”

Natasha Tripplett’s uplifting story wraps readers in the camaraderie and loving support of one girl’s extended family and friends as they come together to celebrate Juneteenth. As Tripplett reveals the traditions of Juneteenth and the hope for the future the holiday is built on and continues to represent, her seamless transitions superbly echo the rhythms of such poignant family get togethers. Readers can smell the brisket, hear the joyful parade, and feel the tight hugs among family members. Likewise, children will experience a tug of sadness as Grandaddy explains the history of the holiday. Tripplett’s warmhearted storytelling will resonate with children, making this an excellent book to introduce Juneteenth to young readers as well as a springboard for further discussion or research.

Daniel O’Brien’s stunning illustrations beautifully depict the community and fellowship of this family’s Juneteenth celebration. The characters’ facial expressions and movements light up the parade and pre-dinner scenes, while the girl’s, cousins’, and grandfather’s somber looks during his recitation of history reveal the deep meaning of the holiday. A common bond between Granddaddy and the young narrator is reflected in the cameras both carry, a symbol, also, of history being passed down through the generations.

Encompassing the warmth of family as well as the historical and emotional significance of this important holiday, Juneteenth Is is a must for any library and school collection and a book that families will embrace.

Ages 5 – 8

Chronicle Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1797216805

About the Author

Natasha Tripplett lives in Northern California, where she writes from a tree house perched in a sycamore. She is a Jamaican Jewish American author who is passionate about cultural representation in children’s literature. You can visit her at natashabooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Daniel J. O’Brien is a Trinidadian-born author and illustrator. He holds a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts. He currently lives in New York with his fantastic partner and loyal dog. You can visit him at danielostudios.com.

You can purchase Juneteenth Is from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review