Celebrate Juneteenth with this empowering picture book!

On June 19th, 1865, the last enslaved African Americans were finally freed in Galveston, Texas. Every year, our community comes together to honor this special day. We play hopscotch, eat spice cake, and listen to music, but what about the first Juneteenth?

As family and friends recount their memories and stories of Juneteenths past, a young girl learns about the holiday's longstanding history and traditions.

Filled with bright art, accessible language, and informational back matter, this educational book joyfully welcomes readers to the block party!

BIO

Kortney Nash (she/her) grew up in South Los Angeles and presently resides in the Jersey suburbs. Kort received her bachelors of arts from University of California, Berkeley with a major in interdisciplinary studies where she focused on child development and education policy. With her minor she pursued creative writing, and she now engages in all of these disciplines by working in children’s publishing.  

When not editing books at work, Kort can be found writing short stories. She was recently featured in the YA horror anthology The Black Girl Survives in This One, and she has a picture book titled Tell Me About Juneteenth coming out in 2025. In her writing, Kort draws inspiration from the tradition of afro-futurism and she hopes to find a way to introduce this to her oral history praxis. 

REVIEWS

"A kid-friendly exploration of a significant national holiday." -- Kirkus

"It’s a forthright communal reminiscence that reflects on myriad traditions alongside an overarching theme: “On Juneteenth, we acknowledge our freedom.” -- Publisher's Weekly

[H]  Godwin Books  /  May 20, 2025

0.6" H x 8.6" L x 11.3" W (0.9 lbs) 40 pages

For ages 4 to 8