Additional information
by Lamont Spence (Author)
What is Juneteenth? When their grandmother sits down at the kitchen table to answer that question, three young siblings (Tonia, Monty, and Jazmine) discover the story of America's newest national holiday.
This Young Learners Special Edition combines a read-aloud picture book story with twenty original line-art illustrations ready for crayons, colored pencils, or markers. Children ages 4 through 7 follow Grandma's gentle telling of June 19, 1865, the day the news of freedom finally reached Galveston, Texas. They meet the families who walked into a brand-new day, learn about the Juneteenth flag and what its colors mean, and join in modern celebrations of red drinks, family cookouts, drumming, dancing, and parades.
Every page invites participation. Did You Know? facts share age-appropriate history. Try This activities turn coloring into conversation. New Word boxes introduce vocabulary like freedom, tradition, and remember. The book closes with a child-friendly glossary, a Juneteenth crossword puzzle with answer key, and a Color Your Own Juneteenth Flag activity page complete with a write-your-own-wish ribbon banner.
A loving tribute to Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, whose long walk helped make June 19th a national holiday in 2021. This book gives families, classrooms, and libraries a meaningful, hands-on way to mark the holiday. Read it aloud at bedtime. Use it in pre-K, kindergarten, and first-grade classrooms. Bring it to a community celebration. Pass the story forward.
Part of the Spence Heritage Press Young Learners Series.
PERFECT FOR:
- Pre-K, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers
- Public and school libraries
- Juneteenth and African American history programming
- Read-aloud bedtime stories
- Multigenerational family activities
- Children's museums and cultural centers
