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All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis.
Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. This stunning picture book includes notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline of important dates, and a glossary of relevant terms.
Told in Angela Johnson’s signature melodic style and brought to life by E.B. Lewis’s striking paintings, All Different Now is a joyous portrait of the dawn breaking on the darkest time in our nation’s history.
Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. This stunning picture book includes notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline of important dates, and a glossary of relevant terms.
Told in Angela Johnson’s signature melodic style and brought to life by E.B. Lewis’s striking paintings, All Different Now is a joyous portrait of the dawn breaking on the darkest time in our nation’s history.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2013
About the author
Angela Johnson
130 books261 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.
Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
February 28, 2018
Realistic watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis complement the inspirational narrative by Angela Johnson in this story that depicts slaves in Texas learning of their freedom, inspiring the Juneteenth holiday.
The images of children waking to light streaming in through their window is so beautiful, which contrasts starkly with their terrible working and living conditions. And the celebration of the announcement at the seaside shows how the family hopes that the tide is turning and that their lives will be better from then on.
Overall, it's a short, quiet story that has a powerful message and speaks to the history of the Emancipation Proclamation and the length of time the message took to spread out to the furthest reaches of the United States.
Ms. Johnson uses short sentences and few words on each page to allow the illustration depict the emotions and the experiences of the slaves. Her narrative is lyrical, filled with imagery that children can easily understand.
An important thing to mention to children after reading this book is that despite the declaration of freedom, the war still raged on for more than two years and the rights and freedoms that should have been granted were held back in many cases for more than 100 years to come.
At the end of the story, several pages of author's and illustrator's notes as well as historical information and a glossary are included to help parents, teachers and caregivers explain to younger children about the significance of the holiday.
The images of children waking to light streaming in through their window is so beautiful, which contrasts starkly with their terrible working and living conditions. And the celebration of the announcement at the seaside shows how the family hopes that the tide is turning and that their lives will be better from then on.
Overall, it's a short, quiet story that has a powerful message and speaks to the history of the Emancipation Proclamation and the length of time the message took to spread out to the furthest reaches of the United States.
Ms. Johnson uses short sentences and few words on each page to allow the illustration depict the emotions and the experiences of the slaves. Her narrative is lyrical, filled with imagery that children can easily understand.
An important thing to mention to children after reading this book is that despite the declaration of freedom, the war still raged on for more than two years and the rights and freedoms that should have been granted were held back in many cases for more than 100 years to come.
At the end of the story, several pages of author's and illustrator's notes as well as historical information and a glossary are included to help parents, teachers and caregivers explain to younger children about the significance of the holiday.
April 4, 2017
If you don’t already know the story of Juneteenth Day, this book won't enlighten you until you get to the author’s notes at the back of the book. By starting at the end, you will learn that at the conclusion of the Civil War, many slaves did not yet know they were now free. [The author errs in her note (although not in her timeline) by stating that slaves were free as of the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. This was a wartime measure and in any event did not free all the slaves; some 800,000 slaves in the border states alone were unaffected by the measure. It was not until the return of the Confederate states to the Union (for which a renunciation of slavery was mandatory) and their acceptance of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in December of 1865, that slavery was officially abolished. In the meantime, however, Southern States remained under military government. Thus, the notification of June 19th was in the form of a military order.]
Even after slavery became illegal, slave owners in Texas did not volunteer the news to their slaves. It was only when Union Major General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 and made the announcement, that slaves understood they were officially free from bondage. [And often, as historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reports, slaves took advantage of their promised freedom at some peril.]
The author observes that awareness of the significance of this date increased during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, and the date is now celebrated throughout the nation.
The book takes us through a summer day for slaves on a Texas plantation, slaves who do not realize that “soon, it would all be different.” As the news spreads, more and more people gather and:
"…we ate as a free people,
laughed as a free people,
and told stories as free people
on
into
the night.”
The little girl who is telling the story muses that in the morning, when they wake again, it will be a time that is “all different now.”
Illustrator E.B. Lewis does a remarkable job with muted watercolors in capturing the range of emotions that slaves must have felt upon learning they were free, from shock to disbelief to hope to ineffable joy. He also makes great use of shadow and changes in light to show the rhythms of the day.
Evaluation: While the illustrations are lovely, I would have liked to have seen some background information made available before the end notes, which in any event are geared toward adults.
Rating: 3.5/5
Even after slavery became illegal, slave owners in Texas did not volunteer the news to their slaves. It was only when Union Major General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 and made the announcement, that slaves understood they were officially free from bondage. [And often, as historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reports, slaves took advantage of their promised freedom at some peril.]
The author observes that awareness of the significance of this date increased during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, and the date is now celebrated throughout the nation.
The book takes us through a summer day for slaves on a Texas plantation, slaves who do not realize that “soon, it would all be different.” As the news spreads, more and more people gather and:
"…we ate as a free people,
laughed as a free people,
and told stories as free people
on
into
the night.”
The little girl who is telling the story muses that in the morning, when they wake again, it will be a time that is “all different now.”
Illustrator E.B. Lewis does a remarkable job with muted watercolors in capturing the range of emotions that slaves must have felt upon learning they were free, from shock to disbelief to hope to ineffable joy. He also makes great use of shadow and changes in light to show the rhythms of the day.
Evaluation: While the illustrations are lovely, I would have liked to have seen some background information made available before the end notes, which in any event are geared toward adults.
Rating: 3.5/5
November 12, 2020
A beautiful book with beautiful artwork, but it's not stand alone. I explained slavery to my kids first and subsequently explained Juneteenth before reading this book. Without background information, young kids will find it difficult to understand the joy in the book. The book was a very valuable part of explaining Juneteenth though.
September 29, 2014
Artistic interpretation of the Juneteenth announcement that slavery had ended. Don't miss the author and illustrator notes and additional historic information in the back.
June 19, 2020
Easy read for children between the ages of 3 to 8 years of age or the young at heart!
"All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Free" by Angela Johnson was most definitely a basic yet inspiring story on how slaves were given their freedom on June 19th, 1865. Brilliant and vibrant watercoloring with strong shadowing style throughout the picture book ... loved this simple but powerful story.
"that a Union general had read from a balcony that we were all now and forever free and things would be different now."
"What was before would be no more..."
5 inspiring stars!
"All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Free" by Angela Johnson was most definitely a basic yet inspiring story on how slaves were given their freedom on June 19th, 1865. Brilliant and vibrant watercoloring with strong shadowing style throughout the picture book ... loved this simple but powerful story.
"that a Union general had read from a balcony that we were all now and forever free and things would be different now."
"What was before would be no more..."
5 inspiring stars!
March 20, 2015
I read this book last night at the library, thinking I might get it to read to my six year-old daughter. The story is very touching and the artwork is BEAUTIFUL, but I think this book is for kids that are a bit older than mine is. Before I read it to her, I'd have to explain slavery, the Civil War, and Emancipation. She only knows a little about the Civil War and Lincoln right now, but once we've learned a bit more, I would love for her to read this book, especially since it deals with Emancipation in Texas and how it took two years for the news to reach our state. She'll be happy to know that Juneteenth started out as a Texan holiday, too.
October 12, 2017
As a picture book, the artwork is nice to look at. It's fluid and fits the tone of the story well. Since it's not nonfiction, the story itself doesn't really delve into what Juneteenth is and why it was such a big deal. It does get the message across on how important it was to black people. I'd recommend this book for a younger age group, somewhere between 3-6. It could possibly come with questions from the child but I think they'd just enjoy the flow of the book.
June 13, 2018
everything about this book is stunning. the prose, the illustrations. the emotion behind it. so wonderful. another great book by angela johnson.
July 13, 2021
I am on a journey, learning and relearning history. It can be a rocky road.
The entire feel of this book is lovely and hopeful. The story itself is a glimpse into an event that needs more information for the uninformed, which the author then gives in her notes at the end. I had begun following someone on Instagram earlier this year who spoke a lot about Juneteenth, so I was aware of the events already. I should say FINALLY aware, just this year. I am trying to allow myself grace as I learn these truths that have been mostly hidden and pushed down during my lifetime and in my sphere.
The illustrations are lovely, muted watercolors that support the story beautifully.
It's never too late to learn the truth.
The entire feel of this book is lovely and hopeful. The story itself is a glimpse into an event that needs more information for the uninformed, which the author then gives in her notes at the end. I had begun following someone on Instagram earlier this year who spoke a lot about Juneteenth, so I was aware of the events already. I should say FINALLY aware, just this year. I am trying to allow myself grace as I learn these truths that have been mostly hidden and pushed down during my lifetime and in my sphere.
The illustrations are lovely, muted watercolors that support the story beautifully.
It's never too late to learn the truth.
May 18, 2023
Simple language and gorgeous illustrations! A great introduction to Juneteenth and freedom from slavery for preschoolers and young elementary students.
June 14, 2023
I need to reread a physical copy of All Different Now due to the ebook having word overlaps on many pages in the book.
June 9, 2014
Celebrate the beauty of freedom in this book dedicated to Juneteenth. Told from the point of view of a young girl, the story is about the first Juneteenth, the day that freedom was first announced for the last of the slaves in the South. Living in shacks on a plantation in Texas, the day is just another day for the girl and her family and the rest of the slaves. They worked hard in the hot sun, not knowing that word of their freedom was steadily heading their way. Then the news arrived and people reacted in different ways, but quickly they pulled their things together and left the plantation behind for freedom. Now June 19th is celebrated as African American Emancipation Day across the United States. It’s a joy to have such a beautiful picture book to give to children to explain Juneteenth and why it means so much.
Johnson manages somehow to show slavery in all of its bone-grinding hard work and lack of freedom but also infuse it with moments of beauty, like waking to the scent of honeysuckle. Her words are poetry on the page, spare and important, speaking volumes in only a few phrases. The book ends with a timeline of important events and a glossary of relevant terms, making this a very useful book as well as lovely.
Lewis’ illustrations are beautiful. He plays with light and dark on the page, allowing the light of the hot Texas day to fill the tiny shack but also making sure that the barrenness is evident and the poverty. The book is filled with light, the sky burned to a pale yellow. Until darkness which has a richness and endlessness that is sumptuous. There is such hope on these pages, almost achingly so, particularly as freedom is announced and they turn their faces to a new future.
Beautiful and timely, this book will be welcome in library collections across the country as one of the only picture books about this holiday. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Johnson manages somehow to show slavery in all of its bone-grinding hard work and lack of freedom but also infuse it with moments of beauty, like waking to the scent of honeysuckle. Her words are poetry on the page, spare and important, speaking volumes in only a few phrases. The book ends with a timeline of important events and a glossary of relevant terms, making this a very useful book as well as lovely.
Lewis’ illustrations are beautiful. He plays with light and dark on the page, allowing the light of the hot Texas day to fill the tiny shack but also making sure that the barrenness is evident and the poverty. The book is filled with light, the sky burned to a pale yellow. Until darkness which has a richness and endlessness that is sumptuous. There is such hope on these pages, almost achingly so, particularly as freedom is announced and they turn their faces to a new future.
Beautiful and timely, this book will be welcome in library collections across the country as one of the only picture books about this holiday. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
June 16, 2015
1. I made a text to world connection with the book All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson. In this book, the narrator, who is a little African American girl, starts to notice adults all around her responding to some extremely incredible news. I can make a connection to the world because I know about the fight for freedom in the Civil War. Although the book does not mention the war, I know that it lasted a long time, and slaves were held in great anticipation and fear for the final result. The end of the war would either mean extreme disappointment or wonderful relief. This book captures what it might have been like for a little girl on the day that freedom was announced.
2. I choose this book because it reveals something unique about African American culture during the Civil War. I like the historical contrast from one day as a slave and having the rest of your life free. This book is culturally specific because it describes the way of life for African Americans during slavery. The book gives the perspective and emotions of the slaves when freedom was finally given to them.
3. Bloom's Questions
Remembering: Name two things that happened when the slaves found out they were free.
Understanding: Explain what the author means by "that soon, it would all be different"?
Applying: What example can you find to support that the family was happy?
Analyzing: How would you contrast the beginning of the book to the end of the book?
Evaluating: Why was it better that everything was "All Different Now?"
Creating: Create a sequel to this book. What would it be about?
2. I choose this book because it reveals something unique about African American culture during the Civil War. I like the historical contrast from one day as a slave and having the rest of your life free. This book is culturally specific because it describes the way of life for African Americans during slavery. The book gives the perspective and emotions of the slaves when freedom was finally given to them.
3. Bloom's Questions
Remembering: Name two things that happened when the slaves found out they were free.
Understanding: Explain what the author means by "that soon, it would all be different"?
Applying: What example can you find to support that the family was happy?
Analyzing: How would you contrast the beginning of the book to the end of the book?
Evaluating: Why was it better that everything was "All Different Now?"
Creating: Create a sequel to this book. What would it be about?
March 12, 2018
A little girl in Galveston, TX, wakes up one morning to find that her whole world has changed when news arrives from the port that all slaves are now and forever free. Her family and the rest of the people in the field receive the news with different emotions as the news overwhelms them and fills their hearts with joy and hope. They all end the day at the beach with a celebration that grows as more and more free people join them.
This historical fiction picture book gives us the perspective of a small slave girl on a very important day in our history, June 19th, 1865, that changes her whole life and those around her. It is a story of celebration and hope inspired by how author Angela Johnson hopes her great-grandparents, who were slaves, might have celebrated this day. The paintings by E.B. Lewis are inspired by old photographs and books on slavery, and give the reader a dreamlike visual of this story that show the many emotions the characters go through as they process what it is like to be free. At the end of the book along with the author’s and illustrator’s notes, there is a timeline of important events, description Juneteenth, online sources, and key terms that will help students learn more about this time in history and encourage further research.
This book would be enjoyed by students in grades 1-4 and can be used when teaching about slavery, research writing, and analyzing how pictures add details to a story. It was also highly recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2014.
This historical fiction picture book gives us the perspective of a small slave girl on a very important day in our history, June 19th, 1865, that changes her whole life and those around her. It is a story of celebration and hope inspired by how author Angela Johnson hopes her great-grandparents, who were slaves, might have celebrated this day. The paintings by E.B. Lewis are inspired by old photographs and books on slavery, and give the reader a dreamlike visual of this story that show the many emotions the characters go through as they process what it is like to be free. At the end of the book along with the author’s and illustrator’s notes, there is a timeline of important events, description Juneteenth, online sources, and key terms that will help students learn more about this time in history and encourage further research.
This book would be enjoyed by students in grades 1-4 and can be used when teaching about slavery, research writing, and analyzing how pictures add details to a story. It was also highly recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2014.
January 23, 2018
This book tells the story of the first Juneteenth, which is the day that the last slaves in Texas found out that they were free. The story is told through the eyes of a small slave girl as she describes her surroundings and how everything is "different now."
I enjoyed the pictures in this book, and the topic of the book; however, I do not feel that this book did a great job addressing what Juneteenth actually is. It is not until the timeline, vocabulary, and authors note at the end that one can really understand what the book is referring to.
I would probably use this book at the end of a Civil War unit and have students discuss what they think will happen to the newly freed slaves. I might have them discuss why things would be different because the book never specifies.
I enjoyed the pictures in this book, and the topic of the book; however, I do not feel that this book did a great job addressing what Juneteenth actually is. It is not until the timeline, vocabulary, and authors note at the end that one can really understand what the book is referring to.
I would probably use this book at the end of a Civil War unit and have students discuss what they think will happen to the newly freed slaves. I might have them discuss why things would be different because the book never specifies.
June 20, 2018
There aren't very many picture books about Juneteenth. In this 2014 book, Angela Johnson conveys the enormous joy surrounding the 1865 announcement of freedom for slaves on Galveston Island who had toiled on for more than 2 and a half years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Without describing the horrifying atrocities of slavery, Johnson gives young readers a clear sense of change that transpired when the endless cotton field labor that proceeded the Juneteenth announcement was replaced by celebration. E. B. Lewis' dreamy paintings let readers peek into the past to witness this joyful moment.
July 12, 2017
Wow. To imagine a day when freedom finally comes to the last of the slaves in the South. It is difficult to put in words how amazing this book is. It is best to let the author and illustrator do it for you. The illustrations and words are so very moving, including the notes shared at the end of the book. Everyone needs to read this book!
June 20, 2022
The joy of the first Juneteenth beautifully imagined in exquisitely written text and stunning illustrations by E.B. Lewis.
July 29, 2022
This picture book was written by Angela Johnson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis (2014). Despite the title, this is not the history of the day commemorating the emancipation of slaves in America (though an afterword does explain it). Rather, this is an imagined first-person account of what it feels like to start the day as a slave and end it as a free person. (Perhaps the book can be used as part of a discussion about how the Israelites felt when they were freed from Egyptian slavery.)
While the text is brief, the pictures convey a wide range of emotions. I'm a fan of Lewis, an artist/illustrator (he calls himself an "artistrator") whose beautiful watercolor paintings are featured in over seventy children's books.
In his "Illustrator's Note" at the end, before describing how a school community helped him by spending a whole day posing for the photographs he would use as references for his paintings, Lewis writes as follows:
Lewis's use of the word "dreamlike" reminds me of the familiar verse from Psalms 126:1, "When God restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers!"
While the text is brief, the pictures convey a wide range of emotions. I'm a fan of Lewis, an artist/illustrator (he calls himself an "artistrator") whose beautiful watercolor paintings are featured in over seventy children's books.
In his "Illustrator's Note" at the end, before describing how a school community helped him by spending a whole day posing for the photographs he would use as references for his paintings, Lewis writes as follows:
I tried, over and over, to imagine what it must have been like to be a slave receiving the news of emancipation. To be given freedom for the first time in your life – wouldn't that be truly awesome, but also somehow surreal and dreamlike? I imagined that all things familiar and engrained must have suddenly seemed alien and strange.
Lewis's use of the word "dreamlike" reminds me of the familiar verse from Psalms 126:1, "When God restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers!"
March 20, 2019
Coretta Scott King Award winners Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis write about a young girl, who remains nameless, who shares the story of her slave family on the first day of freedom. The story begins with a layout of watercolor that spans the pages of slaves working in the hot cotton fields. The illustrations depict just how dire the conditions were as was shown through a worker who is patting his sweaty face while the rest are bent over picking cotton. Once news spread that a Union general declared freedom for slaves, the group cried with joy. They were now free people.
I gave this book 5 stars. The subtle images of the slaves’ emotions were depicted perfectly as Lewis created a somber mood into a joyful one through his simple watercolor illustrations.
I would recommend reading this story to students from grades 1-3. During black history month, students can have conversation and story sequencing or compare/contrast how times have changed.
“All Different Now” has received many awards and honors including ILA Teachers' Choices award, CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title to name a few.
I gave this book 5 stars. The subtle images of the slaves’ emotions were depicted perfectly as Lewis created a somber mood into a joyful one through his simple watercolor illustrations.
I would recommend reading this story to students from grades 1-3. During black history month, students can have conversation and story sequencing or compare/contrast how times have changed.
“All Different Now” has received many awards and honors including ILA Teachers' Choices award, CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title to name a few.
August 8, 2020
I have to admit that I’d not heard of Juneteenth until a few years ago. I hope that everyone now recognizes the significance of June 19, 1865.
Angela Johnson has written beautiful text for this picture book, based on an imaging of what the first Juneteenth might have meant for her great-grandparents. I especially love this line: “What was before would be no more.”
E.B. Lewis’s illustrations are gorgeous! In the Illustrator’s Note, he says, “I hope this book will act as a beacon that shines its light on a dark corner of our country’s history and lays bare its collective denial. Once the darkness is illuminated, a deeper healing can occur and better assure our children’s future. A future where all people wholeheartedly embrace and happily celebrate our differences.”
Dewey’s Reverse Read-a-Thon
August 2020
Book 4
Angela Johnson has written beautiful text for this picture book, based on an imaging of what the first Juneteenth might have meant for her great-grandparents. I especially love this line: “What was before would be no more.”
E.B. Lewis’s illustrations are gorgeous! In the Illustrator’s Note, he says, “I hope this book will act as a beacon that shines its light on a dark corner of our country’s history and lays bare its collective denial. Once the darkness is illuminated, a deeper healing can occur and better assure our children’s future. A future where all people wholeheartedly embrace and happily celebrate our differences.”
Dewey’s Reverse Read-a-Thon
August 2020
Book 4
September 28, 2021
The story of freedom, and the end of slavery through a young slave girl's eyes as she is wakes one June morning by the breeze from the port bringing the smell of honeysuckle. As she approaches to work the cotton field, she hears the rumors of the news of the end of slavery, and emancipation. She along with her family and others realize that things are all different now and forever.
December 24, 2020
My son had been asking to learn more about Juneteenth, so we read this one as a family. Loved—and learned so much from—the gorgeous illustrations, words, and the author’s and illustrator’s notes at the end.
February 15, 2018
This is a beautiful telling of the end of slavery in the USA, and shown in wonderfully expressive illustrations.
At the back of the book there is a page of Important Dates; a page called Juneteenth, then and now; and a page of online sources and Key Terms.
At the back of the book there is a page of Important Dates; a page called Juneteenth, then and now; and a page of online sources and Key Terms.
June 24, 2020
Written to honor her great-grandmother and Juneteenth! An excellent story of how things can change in a day and freedom to be had. This was my first Juneteenth book i've read and it was a great place to start to learn about the holiday
October 1, 2019
A beautifully illustrated book in the medium of watercolor depicting the soulful jubilee of the slaves when they found out that they were freed by the Proclamation of Emancipation of the Union.
June 21, 2020
Read it b/c Trump's bae talked about it. :D
January 20, 2018
Watercolor illustrations and clear,concise text tell the story of a group of cotton working slaves learning of emancipation (Juneteenth).
Read
November 9, 2014Johnson, A., & Lewis, E. (2014). All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Picture Book
This book uses simple text to tell the powerful story of one family of slaves in Texas learning of their freedom on June 19, 1865. The prose is almost lyrical - “And nobody knew, as we ate a little, talked a little, and headed to the fields as the sun was rising, that soon, it would all be different.”
The story and illustrations give the reader a brief glimpse into the life of a slave on a cotton plantation in Texas. We see the simple furnishings of a slave cabin, a young girl getting her hair braided, workers stooped in the fields. Once they learn of their freedom, we see the shock and joy on the family’s faces and hear about the celebratory picnic on the beach, and gathering around a fire to sing and pray.
In the back of the book in the author’s notes we learn that Angela Johnson was inspired to write the story by looking at a photograph of her great-great grandparents, who were born slaves. She imagined what their life must have been like and wondered about their “moment of emancipation.” The book also includes a timeline of important dates for slave emancipation, and the origins and celebrations of the Juneteenth holiday that was born on the day described in this story.
I think this book would be a good one to use in conjunction with nonfiction books about slavery and ones that offer a more detailed look at the life of slave family. Children hearing this book would definitely need some background information and knowledge about the subject in order to truly appreciate the story being told.
Question: Ask children to think about and share how they might have felt if they had been the child in the book - on a day when they found out their whole world would be different. What would they have done to celebrate? With an older group of children you could also ask for ideas on how “Juneteenth” might be celebrated in their own modern community.
Picture Book
This book uses simple text to tell the powerful story of one family of slaves in Texas learning of their freedom on June 19, 1865. The prose is almost lyrical - “And nobody knew, as we ate a little, talked a little, and headed to the fields as the sun was rising, that soon, it would all be different.”
The story and illustrations give the reader a brief glimpse into the life of a slave on a cotton plantation in Texas. We see the simple furnishings of a slave cabin, a young girl getting her hair braided, workers stooped in the fields. Once they learn of their freedom, we see the shock and joy on the family’s faces and hear about the celebratory picnic on the beach, and gathering around a fire to sing and pray.
In the back of the book in the author’s notes we learn that Angela Johnson was inspired to write the story by looking at a photograph of her great-great grandparents, who were born slaves. She imagined what their life must have been like and wondered about their “moment of emancipation.” The book also includes a timeline of important dates for slave emancipation, and the origins and celebrations of the Juneteenth holiday that was born on the day described in this story.
I think this book would be a good one to use in conjunction with nonfiction books about slavery and ones that offer a more detailed look at the life of slave family. Children hearing this book would definitely need some background information and knowledge about the subject in order to truly appreciate the story being told.
Question: Ask children to think about and share how they might have felt if they had been the child in the book - on a day when they found out their whole world would be different. What would they have done to celebrate? With an older group of children you could also ask for ideas on how “Juneteenth” might be celebrated in their own modern community.
Want to read
February 2, 2016This book tells the Juneteenth, which was the day that the slaves were emancipated. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl, who wakes up to a typical morning, not knowing how the events of the day would change her life forever. All of the slaves were carrying out their daily tasks when news of their freedom maid it through the town and to their plantation. They celebrated that night as free people and woke the next morning to a new reality in which they were unsure of exactly what the future held for them. The main themes in this book is hope, because these slave, even through unimaginable hardship, remained hopeful that freedom would come, and eventually it did, and uncertainty, because once they are freed they do not know what their future will be. I would give this book 5/5 stars. It is very well written and accurately depicts an important part of American, especially African American, history. Although it is hard to directly relate to this book, since it is a historical narrative, I can relate to the feeling of uncertainty that they felt, because I know that starting college I had no idea what to expect and it took me a while to adjust to the new freedoms that I had. I no longer had my parents telling me what to do and I had to make my own decisions. I recommend this book because the author accurately depicts a very important part of history in a manner that young students can understand. Also, at the end of the book there are author and illustrator notes, which I think are a great resource for the story.
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