Celebrating Juneteenth

by Jody Jensen Shaffer, Kathleen Petelinsek (Illustrations)

Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. Readers will discover the history behind the day and find out ways to celebrate on their own. Additional features to aid comprehension include activities and poetry, informative sidebars, a table of contents, a phonetic glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author and illustrator.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

Jody Jensen Shaffer is an award-winning poet and the author of more than 70 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including PRUDENCE THE PART-TIME COW, a Missouri Show Me Award finalist for 2019-2020 and Missouri’s choice for the National Book Festival in 2017, A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK, nominee for the 2021-2022 Iowa Goldfinch Award, IT’S YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUSY BUS!, an Amazon best-seller and Amazon Prime Book Box pick for September 2019, EMERGENCY KITTENS!, WHO IS JACKIE CHAN? and more. Jody’s poetry and fiction have been published in magazines like Highlights, Ladybug, and Clubhouse Jr. Jody lives in Liberty, Missouri, with her family. When she’s not writing, Jody can be found spending time with family and walking her rescue dog, Sophie.

Reviews

[Andrew]

Celebrate and Remember: Jubilee Day! Freedom Day! Emancipation Day! Juneteenth!
No matter what you may call it,
remember the history of the Emancipation/Freedom of enslaved peoples in America. Juneteenth didn't become an official Holiday until 2021.
Celebrate by wearing red (the symbol of freedom), eat, sing, tell stories, listen to speeches, go to a parade, register to vote, and be together and FREE!

[Sara Beldon]

This book is super cute and creative with their artwork. I like how it shares history but keeps it brief which is perfect for the age group its designed for. I also like how there are poems inside, directions for a craft and even a recipe for a red velvet cake.

[AnnieM]

It’s ok and I learned some things but I don’t like the illustrations. I’m not sure I’ll put them on the shelf at my library.

I give the content 3 stars but overall it’s a 2 star book.

[Miss Sarah]

An elementary guide to the history and celebration of the national holiday of Juneteenth celebrating the end of slavery.

[Ayanna Anderson]

Great classroom resource for kids. Loved the read aloud available on YouTube and also used the Edpuzzle with a summer school class.

[Jazmin Holdiness]

A very good book to read to your future classroom about this day and what it truly means. I plan to read this to my students in the future.