The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States
- Downloads：4910
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-03 01:21:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alliah L. Agostini
- ISBN：0760375143
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
With colorful illustrations and a timeline， this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom。
On June 19， 1865—more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom。 That day became a day of remembrance and celebration that changed and grew from year to year。
Learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news。 The first Juneteenth began as “Jubilee Day，” where families celebrated and learned of their new rights as citizens。 As Black Texans moved to other parts of the country， they brought their traditions along with them， and Juneteenth continued to grow and develop。
Today， Juneteenth’s powerful spirit has endured through the centuries to become an official holiday in the United States in 2021。 The Juneteenth Story provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday。
On June 19， 1865—more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom。 That day became a day of remembrance and celebration that changed and grew from year to year。
Learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news。 The first Juneteenth began as “Jubilee Day，” where families celebrated and learned of their new rights as citizens。 As Black Texans moved to other parts of the country， they brought their traditions along with them， and Juneteenth continued to grow and develop。
Today， Juneteenth’s powerful spirit has endured through the centuries to become an official holiday in the United States in 2021。 The Juneteenth Story provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday。
Reviews
Aya Khalil
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Excellent book with beautiful illustrations。 Me and my kids enjoyed reading it and discussing it further。 Must-have in all schools and book shelves。
Rashmi Bismark
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This is a beautifully illustrated and incredibly detailed book about Juneteenth that will be perfect for classrooms， libraries， and home collections。 Even my thirteen year old， who considers herself beyond picture books， was captivated。 Ms。 Agostini’s vivid text engages the reader and touches the heart。 The additional Backmatter enriches the book with the author’s family’s personal connections to Juneteenth。 A book you will keep coming back to。
Medeia Sharif
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I had heard about Juneteenth， but did not know the full details about the holiday。 It was interesting learning about how it originated in Texas。 There is much sadness in the history of slavery， but the celebration of Juneteenth—and the depictions of celebration in the amazing illustrations—brought a smile to my face。 This is an important picture book that is essential in both classroom and home libraries。
Stacy Davids
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Excellent picture book for older readers！ Very informative！From the illustrations， the reader gleans that the grandparents are telling their granddaughter about the history of Juneteenth。 The author uses high vocabulary and spends just the right amount of time on each aspect to keep the reader engaged while also imparting a lot of information。 After the main story， there is a timeline of events and an author’s note describing her own family connection to the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth。
Miloureadsbooks
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I first wrote this review for my Instagram @miloureadsbooksWhile this topic is very American， it is important to discuss in the rest of the world too。 Even though your country might not have traded enslaved people， there probably is still racism to be dismantled。 Plus， let we not forget about modern slavery， where people with little documents， social connections， or money， have no choice but to work in atrocious circumstances。 In the words of Opal Lee: None of us are free until we’re all free， a I first wrote this review for my Instagram @miloureadsbooksWhile this topic is very American， it is important to discuss in the rest of the world too。 Even though your country might not have traded enslaved people， there probably is still racism to be dismantled。 Plus， let we not forget about modern slavery， where people with little documents， social connections， or money， have no choice but to work in atrocious circumstances。 In the words of Opal Lee: None of us are free until we’re all free， and we aren’t free yet。A family explains the Juneteenth holiday to their daughter。 How it commemorates the freedom and the suffering of enslaved people， the challenges Black people faced while celebrating and how they succeeded spreading black joy across the country。 It balanced the tragedy on one hand and the happiness on the other。 I think it also very shows clearly that there are still important issues to fight for， so we can create a more equal future for all。 。。。more
Melki
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Well， that was certainly informative！This book covers a lot of ground， and is VERY text-heavy， so it's probably best kept for older children。 The author and illustrator do a good job conveying both the sadness， and the joy embodied in the holiday。 There's also a handy timeline at the end of the book。 It would make a great addition to any classroom or public library。Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the read。 Well， that was certainly informative！This book covers a lot of ground， and is VERY text-heavy， so it's probably best kept for older children。 The author and illustrator do a good job conveying both the sadness， and the joy embodied in the holiday。 There's also a handy timeline at the end of the book。 It would make a great addition to any classroom or public library。Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the read。 。。。more
The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street
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This is a wonderfully detailed history that tells the story of American history and Juneteenth in a truthful and age-appropriate way。 Details are nicely strung together in an engaging way。 Important truths about American history are not shied away from。 Since this is aimed at 6-9 year olds I do want to note that the narrative is quite long per page， and likely you will have to pause to explain a few things if they are unfamiliar with American history。 I think it might even be confusing for a 6 y This is a wonderfully detailed history that tells the story of American history and Juneteenth in a truthful and age-appropriate way。 Details are nicely strung together in an engaging way。 Important truths about American history are not shied away from。 Since this is aimed at 6-9 year olds I do want to note that the narrative is quite long per page， and likely you will have to pause to explain a few things if they are unfamiliar with American history。 I think it might even be confusing for a 6 year old to understand why communication was slow and new wasn't instantaneous。 I think I would aim this more at 8-12 year olds， just for the volume of text in the narrative here and complexity of historical information。 That said， the narrative flows beautifully and I love that it is in the picture book style paired with rich illustrations。 The celebratory pages are especially poignant。 This is a welcome book that I think educators especially will love to have to be able to share with young children such an essential part of the American story。***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Quarto Kids。 Opinions are my own。 。。。more
Valerie Bolling
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This book is chock full of information and details about a holiday many don’t know about。 Though this is a picture book， it can be used in a middle or high school classroom to provide the history of Juneteenth – what occurred in our country prior to this event and what has happened since。 The book concludes with a timeline and the author’s personal family story and connection to Juneteenth。 Definitely worth adding to your library。
Shyiesha
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This is a beautiful book about Juneteenth that also depicts amazing artwork。 I too must admit as a Black person that I did not know anything about Juneteenth。 I first learned about Juneteenth while away on vacation in Nassau， Bahamas。 It so happened that I had visited right around this holiday。 When I was asked by my taxi driver what were my plans for Juneteenth， I had to ask what Juneteenth was。 Luckily， my driver was gracious enough to not ridicule， but instead， inform and enlighten me and my This is a beautiful book about Juneteenth that also depicts amazing artwork。 I too must admit as a Black person that I did not know anything about Juneteenth。 I first learned about Juneteenth while away on vacation in Nassau， Bahamas。 It so happened that I had visited right around this holiday。 When I was asked by my taxi driver what were my plans for Juneteenth， I had to ask what Juneteenth was。 Luckily， my driver was gracious enough to not ridicule， but instead， inform and enlighten me and my friends on the history of Juneteenth。 I must say as a parent and a librarian I am really glad that Juneteenth is now recognized as a national holiday。 It is something that I will teach my students as well as my son。 As I look to update my school's library collection， I will be sure to purchase this book， as it does a phenomenal job explaining the history of Juneteenth from the past to the present day。 。。。more
Mariko Tsubaki
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This was a well written children book about the history of Jubilee Day or Juneteenth。 The author did a wonderful job of the explaining the history of the holiday for both children and adults。 The illustration was engaging and colorful。 Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for a copy of this book for review
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States is a well written and colorfully illustrated book about the celebration of the end of slavery in the USA。 Due out 3rd May 2022 from Quarto on their becker&mayer！ imprint， it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format。Aimed at the youngest readers （ages 6-9 years）， this is an engaging and age appropriate retelling of the story of the end of slavery and the codificat Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States is a well written and colorfully illustrated book about the celebration of the end of slavery in the USA。 Due out 3rd May 2022 from Quarto on their becker&mayer！ imprint， it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format。Aimed at the youngest readers （ages 6-9 years）， this is an engaging and age appropriate retelling of the story of the end of slavery and the codification of the Emancipation Proclamation which was ratified into law as the 13th Amendment。 Despite being freed， many former slaves in Texas weren't aware that they were no longer slaves until General Gordon Granger read in Galveston: “The people of Texas are informed that， in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States， all slaves are free 。 。 。” The text is simple and accessible and lends itself to interactive reading either with a classroom reading circle or one on one with one's own children。 The art is full of small details which invite readers to ponder and take a closer look。 The author has also included a short timeline of events from the beginning of the trans-Atlantic European slave trade down to 2021 when President Biden signed into law Juneteenth as a federal holiday。Well written and important history， told in an age appropriate manner。 Five stars。 This would be a good choice for public library or classroom use， as well as for the home library。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Annarella
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I read about Juneteenth but didn't know the story behind this date。 This book was an excellent way to learn more about it。It's an excellent read for adult and children。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I read about Juneteenth but didn't know the story behind this date。 This book was an excellent way to learn more about it。It's an excellent read for adult and children。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Brooke
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“Jubilee Day became “Juneteenth，” short for its date of June 19。”I had no idea Juneteenth was more than a cool combination of June and Ninteenth until I was in college。 This picture book will make a great addition to both home collections and public libraries， as it shares the history of freedom in the U。S。Vibrant color， beautiful illustrations， and easy-to-understand paragraphs come together to form a wonderful children's book。*Many thanks to NetGalley and becker&mayer！ kids， an imprint of The “Jubilee Day became “Juneteenth，” short for its date of June 19。”I had no idea Juneteenth was more than a cool combination of June and Ninteenth until I was in college。 This picture book will make a great addition to both home collections and public libraries， as it shares the history of freedom in the U。S。Vibrant color， beautiful illustrations， and easy-to-understand paragraphs come together to form a wonderful children's book。*Many thanks to NetGalley and becker&mayer！ kids， an imprint of The Quarto Group， for an electronic advanced copy。* 。。。more
Elizabeth Mellen
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Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC of this！ This was full of information， with text aimed at the upper elementary set。 I read it aloud to my 5 year old and it was well over his head， but I think my 8 year old would learn a lot from it - I definitely did！ I liked the illustrations a lot， they were lovely。
Eleanor
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A very beautifully illustrated and lovely read about Juneteenth。 Not only suitable for children to learn more about Juneteenth's founding and history， but also an excellent source for adults to acquaint themselves with this important part of the United States' history。 Sawyer Cloud's illustrations help accentuate Alliah L。 Agostini's beautiful， emotive， and informational prose。 It was a pleasure to read and also to learn while reading。 This would be a very approachable read for children as well A very beautifully illustrated and lovely read about Juneteenth。 Not only suitable for children to learn more about Juneteenth's founding and history， but also an excellent source for adults to acquaint themselves with this important part of the United States' history。 Sawyer Cloud's illustrations help accentuate Alliah L。 Agostini's beautiful， emotive， and informational prose。 It was a pleasure to read and also to learn while reading。 This would be a very approachable read for children as well as a good family reading time experience。 I also hope it makes its way to classrooms and libraries around the United States。 Whether one already knows about Juneteenth， or is looking to learn more， or for the first time， The Juneteenth Story is an excellent place to start。 Thank you NetGalley for this free eARC to write this honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Ainun Zahra
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It is a great book conceptwise， the sorrows and joys behind Juneteenth explained in depth with beautiful， fitting illustrations but might be bit hard for young readers and those who aren't familiar with the history。 I had a hard time processing what I was reading as a lot of information were dumped in a short time and I kept going back to clear out confusions。 Nevertheless， the book deserves praises for covering so many grounds and portraying the events with precision。 I would suggest it to read It is a great book conceptwise， the sorrows and joys behind Juneteenth explained in depth with beautiful， fitting illustrations but might be bit hard for young readers and those who aren't familiar with the history。 I had a hard time processing what I was reading as a lot of information were dumped in a short time and I kept going back to clear out confusions。 Nevertheless， the book deserves praises for covering so many grounds and portraying the events with precision。 I would suggest it to readers aged 10-11 and above。 In my personal opinion， they would be able to make the best use of the book。 。。。more
Britt
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Thank you， NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with a DRC of The Juneteenth Story。The Juneteenth Story briefly explains the history of the end of slavery in the United States in the format of a picture book。 It does have more text and is more informational than your average picture book。 So I would recommend this book for a bit more older children （and adults because I also learnt a lot due to this book！）。 Agostini did a great job in telling this complicated history in just a Thank you， NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with a DRC of The Juneteenth Story。The Juneteenth Story briefly explains the history of the end of slavery in the United States in the format of a picture book。 It does have more text and is more informational than your average picture book。 So I would recommend this book for a bit more older children （and adults because I also learnt a lot due to this book！）。 Agostini did a great job in telling this complicated history in just a few pages。 The illustrations are wonderful。 I recommend The Juneteenth Story to anyone young or old who wants to learn more about Juneteenth。 。。。more
Jenna
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This is such an important book that needs to be in every classroom。 I loved the artwork and learning more about Juneteenth and the struggles of the enslaved。 I will definitely want a copy to read to my children。
Tameka
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The Juneteenth Story ， written by Alliah L。 Agostini and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud， is a meticulously researched reference book that should be included in every children's book collection。 I learned so many things about the history of Juneteenth， things I wish I had known as a kid。 What a wonderful feeling to know that today's young people will have access to such truthful and comprehensive information about this most meaningful federal holiday。 An important resource for kids and their grown- The Juneteenth Story ， written by Alliah L。 Agostini and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud， is a meticulously researched reference book that should be included in every children's book collection。 I learned so many things about the history of Juneteenth， things I wish I had known as a kid。 What a wonderful feeling to know that today's young people will have access to such truthful and comprehensive information about this most meaningful federal holiday。 An important resource for kids and their grown-ups。 Highly recommend for classrooms， libraries， and homes， too！ 。。。more
Natasha
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This book was written with so much heart and authenticity， that it was difficult not to tear up at moments。 Author Alliah did a wonderful job capturing the historical background and details that not only spoke to Juneteenth but Black Americans' journey to freedom， real freedom。 Illustrator Sawyer Cloud captured the range of emotions， from joy to sadness that you will surely feel when reading this book。 A must-have for every library and classroom。 This book was written with so much heart and authenticity， that it was difficult not to tear up at moments。 Author Alliah did a wonderful job capturing the historical background and details that not only spoke to Juneteenth but Black Americans' journey to freedom， real freedom。 Illustrator Sawyer Cloud captured the range of emotions， from joy to sadness that you will surely feel when reading this book。 A must-have for every library and classroom。 。。。more
Morgan
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This children's book was such an interesting read。 It encapsulated such an important part of American and Black history in a way that is suitable for children to understand and learn about。 This book I feel definitely caters more to older children but nonetheless is a book that I think is really important for all children to read。 I really liked the fact that it reflected that Juneteenth has now being made an official holiday and highlighted the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement duri This children's book was such an interesting read。 It encapsulated such an important part of American and Black history in a way that is suitable for children to understand and learn about。 This book I feel definitely caters more to older children but nonetheless is a book that I think is really important for all children to read。 I really liked the fact that it reflected that Juneteenth has now being made an official holiday and highlighted the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement during 2020 as this is something children today will be aware of。 The illustrations of this book were beautiful and visually captured the messages presented throughout this book。There has clearly been a lot of research in to this book and it is expressed clearly。 This was an enjoyable book to read and I would definitely recommend it for anyone to read。 I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you to becker & mayer for allowing me to read this。 。。。more
Another Pony
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Although I'm an adult， I didn't know the story behind The Juneteenth until I read this book！ 🤭In my opinion， it is the perfect book to explain to children （and adults like me） what is Juneteenth and why it is so important to know about it， with the entire timeline of events。 Oh， and the pictures are really beautiful so children would love them！ 😍I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review。 Although I'm an adult， I didn't know the story behind The Juneteenth until I read this book！ 🤭In my opinion， it is the perfect book to explain to children （and adults like me） what is Juneteenth and why it is so important to know about it， with the entire timeline of events。 Oh， and the pictures are really beautiful so children would love them！ 😍I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Christine Piepmeier
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A picture book that tells the story behind Juneteenth， our most recent federal holiday。 Unlike some picture books， this one has a lot of sentences， but does a great job of explaining the history behind slavery， emancipation， and the struggle to free all slaves。 I found it to be super informative but still told in a way that would be accessible for children。 Definitely a great read and one that classrooms and libraries should adopt。 I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest revi A picture book that tells the story behind Juneteenth， our most recent federal holiday。 Unlike some picture books， this one has a lot of sentences， but does a great job of explaining the history behind slavery， emancipation， and the struggle to free all slaves。 I found it to be super informative but still told in a way that would be accessible for children。 Definitely a great read and one that classrooms and libraries should adopt。 I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Emilee （emileereadsbooks）
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Thanks to Netgalley and becker & mayer！ for a free digital copy。A powerful and beautifully illustrated book explaining to children and adults the roots and the reasons for celebrating Juneteenth。
Monica Acker
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I loved learning all of the history behind Juneteenth！ The Juneteenth Story is chock-full of information delivered in an honest， child-friendly way。 This book would be an excellent addition to schools， libraries， and personal bookshelves alike。
Gabriele Davis
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The Juneteenth Story introduces readers to America’s newest official holiday in an engaging and accessible way。 Author Alliah L。 Agostini explains the holiday’s origin in Texas—where enslaved people were denied knowledge of their free status for over two and a half years—as well as its slow spread throughout the country， as more and more Americans learned of and embraced this celebration of Black resilience。 She covers both the joyousness of the event and the complex history and emotions that su The Juneteenth Story introduces readers to America’s newest official holiday in an engaging and accessible way。 Author Alliah L。 Agostini explains the holiday’s origin in Texas—where enslaved people were denied knowledge of their free status for over two and a half years—as well as its slow spread throughout the country， as more and more Americans learned of and embraced this celebration of Black resilience。 She covers both the joyousness of the event and the complex history and emotions that surround it。 Sawyer Cloud’s vibrant illustrations add beauty and depth to the story， allowing readers to feel present in each moment。 And back matter adds a personal element with a note from the author about her deep reverence for Juneteenth， which her family has celebrated since her childhood。 A highly recommended resource for families， classrooms and libraries。 。。。more
Kirstie Myvett
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Juneteenth Story by Alliah L。 Agostini takes us to the very beginning， Independent Day 1776， when Americans celebrated their freedom while enslaving African Americans。 We learn of the slow trickle of freedom by northern states and the resistance of the south。 When enslaved Texans finally got delayed word of their freedom， it was a celebration。 I love this beautiful quote from the author describing what that moment must have been like， “Newly freed Texans began to feel the long-delayed warmth of Juneteenth Story by Alliah L。 Agostini takes us to the very beginning， Independent Day 1776， when Americans celebrated their freedom while enslaving African Americans。 We learn of the slow trickle of freedom by northern states and the resistance of the south。 When enslaved Texans finally got delayed word of their freedom， it was a celebration。 I love this beautiful quote from the author describing what that moment must have been like， “Newly freed Texans began to feel the long-delayed warmth of liberty’s glow。” But soon， Juneteenth celebrations would be forgotten with the restrictive laws of Jim Crow， World War I， and The Great Depression。 However， this day continued to live on in the hearts of Texans。 In 2021， Juneteenth became an official United States holiday， and celebrations remembering and honoring the resilient ancestors take place across the country。The author includes a timeline of events leading to Juneteenth and a backstory on her own familial connection to the holiday。 A compilation of beautiful illustrations by Sawyer Cloud depicts each milestone of the Juneteenth Story。 This thoroughly researched book will serve as a valuable source for children， teachers， and librarians。 。。。more
Sara Fajardo
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