When the proclamation granting liberty to the enslaved of America reaches Texas on June 19, it launches the start of Juneteenth which is a holiday for everyone.

This nicely illustrated children’s book chronicles the story of the importance of June 19, 1865, now a national holiday named Juneteenth. While the Emancipation Proclamation was made earlier, word of its message reached Galveston Island, Texas, on this date. The formerly enslaved celebrated, and the joyful celebration of freedom became a tradition. The text of the book offers much Civil War history and background, but parents and child readers may find the account disjointed rather than chronological. Still, it tells an important story.

This is a great book for kids and anyone who wants to learn more about Juneteenth. It is beautifully illustrated and takes us back to the first Juneteenth, and before. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I have read a couple of books now that cover the events of what happened on 19th June 1865 and this was another great addition to those available on the subject.

The story is powerful and the book itself is really well written, it is really well illustrated, and the images used really suits the story.

June 19th, 1865 is now more commonly known as Juneteenth and it is now a federal holiday in the US and a day to remember what happened and the changes that this brought. The book celebrates freedom but does not shy away from what happened initially to now lead to these celebrations and shows that we must never forget the past, but we must learn from it and never allow history, in circumstances such as these to be repeated again.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended and this is definitely a story that needs to be told!

"I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free.
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

Teller presents a nice, though somewhat confusing, picture book about a day that changed the lives of so many.

As the book begins, it appears as though it will be told through the eyes of a little girl, but we never return to her, and the book jumps around quite a bit in time. Also, the vocabulary seems aimed more toward adults than children.

For me, the artwork by Eliza Manzanilla was the true highlight of the book. Somewhat fuzzy, and indistinct, the play of darkness and light in her illustrations was very evocative.

This could serve as a good jumping off point for discussions about the Civil War, and the end of slavery.

Step into the pages of "Juneteenth: This Day Was Made for You and Me" and join the jubilee celebration of freedom and equality! With its engaging storytelling and vibrant illustrations, this book brings history to life in a way that captivates young readers. It beautifully honors the sacrifices made by countless individuals to expand liberty's reach across the land.

A powerful children's book that beautifully tells the story of June 19th, 1865, the day that marked a significant turning point for those in bondage on Galveston Island. Through vivid storytelling and engaging illustrations, the book brings to life the proclamation of General Order No. 3, which transformed that day into a jubilee celebrated by freedom-loving people around the world.

Hmm...

I am happy that there is a lot of literature and resources becoming widely available on the subject of Juneteenth and what it means to the Black community and larger society overall. As a result of the more recent observance of June 19th as a national holiday, there has been an influx. I am especially happy to see that is being celebrated on a larger scale and also a part school curriculum, work place cultures, and expanding into family traditions.

Juneteenth: This Day Was Made For You And Me, is a short history of the now holiday and its origins. Only, I had a difficult time understanding its timeline. The narrator jumped around quite a bit, alternating between various events. And I think, if the target audience is primarily children with a secondary emphasis on parents and families, it is critical to follow some sort of chronological order.

I really enjoyed the effort on the part of the author and illustrator to try and pull it altogether, it was a bit too disjointed for me.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own."

I'll be honest before TIK TOK I never heard of Juneteenth. I loved the idea of a celebration of a liberation day of slaves, but didn't know the roots. ( I'm a 38 year old Canadian that was not blessed with this information in school or after)

I love this book as now I understand the meaning and history and it is in easy to understand terms.


I'm just unsure of it is a celebration for all. I'm very pro freedom and equality, but I don't have the generation trauma that decendents of slaves have gone through and still going through. (I'm thinking of Indigenous people here is Canada.)

This book will be added to my classroom library. Not only does it explain the history and importance of the holiday, it stresses that it is something everyone should celebrate.

I really wanted to like this book, but genuinely the plot is so scattered. The author jumps around timelines in a confusing manner. We started off on June 19, 1865 with an unnamed parent and child on the first page, who were enslaved in Galveston. The author then tells us about the history of Galveston. I got confused at the narrative at the sentence, “Cannonballs flew into town, hitting the Hendley building. The damage can still be seen to this day.” This jump in time feels weird to me, especially since a few pages later, we’re back to the narrative of the child. The plot then jumps back in time to 1863, with the writing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and then explaining how that ties in to Juneteenth.
Then there’s a poetic religious section comparing enslaved folks in America to the enslaved Hebrews in Genesis. There’s a big metaphor about fighting the present day Pharaohs that isn’t quite expanded on?

I think this author has a lot of passion and great ideas but the delivery is jumbled and confusing.