The Juneteenth holiday is celebrated on June 19th, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. We put together a list of our favorite Children's Books to Celebrate Juneteenth we think are valuable to add to your bookshelf all year long. These own voices stories will engage kids at home or in the classroom with important stories of Black joy and Black resistance.
Juneteenth is the smell of brisket filling the air. Juneteenth is the sounds of music, dancing, and cheering ringing from the parade outside. It is love. It is prayer. It is friends and relatives coming together to commemorate freedom, hope for tomorrow, and one another.
This book is an ode to the history of the Black community in the United States, a tribute to Black joy, and a portrait of familial love. With poignant text and vivid illustrations, Juneteenth Is offers a window and a mirror for readers, resonating with kids who will see themselves reflected in its pages and those who hope to understand experiences beyond their own.
CELEBRATES BLACK JOY: At its root, this is a story of family and community. Vibrant illustrations capture the warmth and unity of Black families and Black communities in a portrait of beautiful joy.
REMEMBERING A LEGACY: Both a story of celebration and a commemoration of freedom, this book honors a past of struggle, resilience, and triumph. It recognizes Juneteenth not just as a holiday but as a cultural legacy. An author's note also explains the significance of the color red to Juneteenth–its use as a symbol of African American endurance and the ways Black communities weave the color into modern-day celebrations through food and clothing.
JUNETEENTH IS
Written by Natasha Tripplett and Illustrated by Daniel J. O'Brien
Published by Chronicle Books
Photo Description: Book Cover of THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM
When people visit me, they are free—to run, play, gather, and rejoice.
They built me to remember.
On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.
In the voice and memory of the park itself—its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people—the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America—and the promise of a people to remember.
Photo Description: Book Cover of LET'S CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
A celebration of Juneteenth for babies and toddlers!
Let's Celebrate Juneteenth Board Book from Mudpuppy is a wonderful introduction to Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States on June 19th commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Colorful illustrations show various ways people celebrate the anniversary of freedom for all!
LET'S CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
Written by Tonya Abari and Mudpuppy and Illustrated by Tabitha Brown
Published by Galison
This inspiring Little Golden Book tells the story of one young boy's first experience celebrating Juneteenth.
When Jayylen's grandfather, Paw Paw Jimmy, begins preparing for a big Juneteenth celebration, Jayylen has a lot of questions. Most importantly, what is Juneteenth? His mother and Paw Paw Jimmy explain that the holiday marks the anniversary of when enslaved African Americans found out that they were free. Paw Paw Jimmy plays some zydeco for him, which is the type of music they will dance to at the celebration. Jayylen practices every day so that he will be able to play the frottoir (a percussion instrument similar to a washboard) for everyone. But will he be able to pull off an even bigger surprise for the day?
JAYYLEN'S JUNETEENTH SURPRISE
Written by Lavaille Lavette and Illustrated by David Wilkerson
Published by Golden Books
Photo Description: JUNETEENTH FOR MAZIE book cover
Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history. The day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth.
JUNETEENTH FOR MAZIE
Written and Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Published by Picture Window Books
Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate “freedom for all.”
Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic–a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak's stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865–over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn't always see freedom in her Texas town.
Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn't freedom at all. She had to do something! But could one person's voice make a difference? Could Opal bring about national recognition of Juneteenth? Follow Opal Lee as she fights to improve the future by honoring the past.
Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States
Photo Description: THE JUNETEENTH STORY book cover
JWith 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.
Photo Description: A FLAG FOR JUNETEENTH book cover
Expert quilter Kim Taylor shares a unique and powerful story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free. Since then, Juneteenth, as the day has come to be known, has steadily gained recognition throughout the United States. ln 2020, a powerful wave of protests and demonstrations calling for racial justice and equality brought new awareness to the significance of the holiday.
A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can't possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag.
Debut author and artist Kim Taylor sets this story apart by applying her skills as an expert quilter. Each of the illustrations has been lovingly hand sewn and quilted, giving the book a homespun, tactile quality that is altogether unique.
A FLAG FOR JUNETEETH Written and Illustrated by Kim Taylor
Published by Neal Porter Books
A lyrical picture book about our newest national holiday, Juneteenth follows the annual celebration in Galveston, Texas–birthplace of Juneteenth–through the eyes of a boy coming to understand his place in Black American history in a story from three Texan creators.
A young Black child experiences the magic of the Juneteenth parade for the first time with their family as they come to understand the purpose of the party that happens every year–and why they celebrate their African American history!
The poetic text includes selected lyrics from “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the unofficial Black National Anthem, and the vibrant art illuminates the beauty of this moment of Black joy, celebrated across the nation. This vibrant adventure through the city streets invites young readers to make a joyful noise about freedom for all.
JUNETEENTH: A Picture Book for Kids Celebrating Black Joy
Written by Van G. Garrett
Illustrated by Reginald C. Adams and Samson Bimbo Adenugba
Published by Versify Books/ HarperCollins
Bethany Edwards is an elementary educator as well as a reading and literacy
specialist. On Biracial Bookworms, she focuses on multiracial and multicultural resources for teaching literacy skills using reading, travel, and learning multiple languages. Additionally, she offers online and self-paced courses for parents and caregivers on Biracial Bookworms Academy.
This list of Diverse Children's Books About Financial Literacy which teaches children how to earn, save, and budget in every day experiences. Read more »
🌟 Celebrate Dot Day! Use your imagination, be creative, and have the courage to try—even if you make mistakes! 🟠 Keep creating bravely all year long - MAKE YOUR MARK! Sign Up Here 👉 www.internationaldotday.org/register... See MoreSee Less
It is no secret that #InternationalDotDay is our favorite day of the year — and this is exactly why! Peter H. Reynolds, look at the gorgeous creations the kindergarteners of Bayview Academy in Karachi, Pakistan made in art class to celebrate #DotDay! 🇵🇰🟠✨
🤗 Thank you to their teacher @nadish.kahn.art for sharing them with us!
🎨 Show us how YOUR class or school are celebrating International Dot Day this year! We’d love to share them!
🗣️ "Dot Day is the best day ever!!! 😍😍😍!" "I love the video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "I love this. It shows me how to draw and be creative." 🥰 What will your kids say?
Leave Your Comment