Celebrate Juneteenth and radiate #BlackJoy through traditional food and cultural activities.

A commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, the Juneteenth holiday has been observed in the Black community for over 150 years. In The Juneteenth Cookbook, Alliah L. Agostini, author of the popular children’s book The Juneteenth Story—which won the 2022 Black Kid Lit Award for Best Historical title—brings the tradition to your home through historically accurate recipes and educational family activities.

With captivating illustrations of 18 quick and easy recipes, follow along with little Alliah and her grandparents as they explore the historical origins of the holiday through food. Make, share, and enjoy kid-friendly takes on some of the most popular Juneteenth celebration foods, including:

• Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Frances Price’s Calico Potato Salad
• Saucy Pulled Chicken Sliders with Bangin’ Barbeque Sauce
• Freedom Fizz (homemade red pop)
• Hot Links & Chow Chow Relish
• Corn Muffins with Hot Honey Butter
• Mac ‘n’ Please
• Sweet Potato Pie Bars
• And more!

All recipes use simple and accessible ingredients, which can be easily substituted for a variety of diets and preferences. Each recipe can also easily be multiplied for larger groups, and the instructions are written with families in mind so everyone from toddler to grandparent can participate in crafting the ultimate Juneteenth celebration spread! Alongside all the delicious recipes, you’ll also learn a brief history of barbeque and it’s importance to the Juneteenth holiday and Black culture in America.

Keep the celebration going with five fun and educational activity sections that include crafting projects (creating an African medallion necklace and designing your own Juneteenth gear with block printing); table and field games (playing mancala and having relay races); on-site or virtual field trips (visiting museums and historic locations or joining Juneteenth celebrations in culturally important American cities); and dancing to the music of the holiday with Alliah’s Cookout DJ 101 tutorial. These activities are perfect for families, community groups, or classes and bring elements of the road to emancipation and Juneteenth’s history to life.

Comprised of 90 percent cooking and 10 percent family and community engagement, The Juneteenth Cookbook brings kids and families a sensory-rich, hands-on exploration of this important and historic American holiday.

Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about talk show host, producer, and actor Oprah Winfrey. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for preschoolers!

This Little Golden Book about Oprah Winfrey–host of the highest-rated daytime talk show in American history, and one of the most influential and successful women in the world–is an inspiring read-aloud for young children, as well as their parents and grandparents.

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

An exuberant picture book written by Alliah L. Agostini and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice is about a Black boy with big dancing dreams who learns the meaning of courage and community.

It’s the weekend, first in June; speaker’s blasting out big tune!
Cousins, aunties, uncles, friends pack the house, and fun begins.

Shane is shy but loves to dance―and all year long, he’s picked up cans to earn some money toward his goal: high-tops with a pump-up sole.

But then the speaker blows―it’s done! Will this stop his family’s fun? Can Shane come through to save the day and bring back Big Tune Saturday?

Set within a vibrant Caribbean American neighborhood and told to a rhythmic beat, Big Tune is a story of Black boy joy that touches on determination, confidence to express who you are, selflessness, and community gratitude.

Winner of the 2022 the Black Kid Lit Award for Best Historical title.

With 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.