A deeply felt celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.
Wynter and Pumphrey tell the story of Juneteenth.
What would you wear, how would you eat, how would you sing, dance, and celebrate, after so many years of being forced to wear rags, to eat scraps, and to hide your messages in song? Directly addressing audiences, Wynter’s spare yet powerfully immersive words invite readers to imagine both the horrors of enslavement and the joy of emancipation, while the backmatter lays out the facts about the holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery. Pumphrey’s acrylic illustrations weave back and forth in time, juxtaposing stark images of silhouetted people in chains and picking cotton with uplifting scenes of the newly liberated dancing and even taking flight, along with depictions of modern-day Juneteenth parades and concerts. Author and illustrator walk a fine line, acknowledging the harsh realities of slavery while never overwhelming readers with gruesome details. Pumphrey nimbly incorporates lyrics from spirituals into his artwork. Beginning and ending on notes of hope—with scenes of a formerly enslaved family enjoying their freedom at sunrise and sunset—his visuals pulse with energy and life. Children will be filled with wonder; adults will be impressed by the sheer talent on display. All will come away enlightened and moved by this loving tribute.
A deeply felt celebration of the resilience of the human spirit. (lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing”) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063081147
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for.
An overview of the modern African-American holiday.
This book arrives at a time when black people in the United States have had intraracial—some serious, some snarky—conversations about Kwanzaa’s relevance nowadays, from its patchwork inspiration that flattens the cultural diversity of the African continent to a single festive story to, relatedly, the earnest blacker-than-thou pretentiousness surrounding it. Both the author and consultant Keith A. Mayes take great pains—and in painfully simplistic language—to provide a context that attempts to refute the internal arguments as much as it informs its intended audience. In fact, Mayes says in the endnotes that young people are Kwanzaa’s “largest audience and most important constituents” and further extends an invitation to all races and ages to join the winter celebration. However, his “young people represent the future” counterpoint—and the book itself—really responds to an echo of an argument, as black communities have moved the conversation out to listen to African communities who critique the holiday’s loose “African-ness” and deep American-ness and moved on to commemorate holidays that have a more historical base in black people’s experiences in the United States, such as Juneteenth. In this context, the explications of Kwanzaa’s principles and symbols and the smattering of accompanying activities feel out of touch.
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for. (resources, bibliography, glossary, afterword) (Nonfiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2849-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project.
The Celebrate the World series spotlights Lunar New Year.
This board book blends expository text and first-person-plural narrative, introducing readers to the holiday. Chau’s distinctive, finely textured watercolor paintings add depth, transitioning smoothly from a grand cityscape to the dining room table, from fantasies of the past to dumplings of the present. The text attempts to provide a broad look at the subject, including other names for the celebration, related cosmology, and historical background, as well as a more-personal discussion of traditions and practices. Yet it’s never clear who the narrator is—while the narrative indicates the existence of some consistent, monolithic group who participates in specific rituals of celebration (“Before the new year celebrations begin, we clean our homes—and ourselves!”), the illustrations depict different people in every image. Indeed, observances of Lunar New Year are as diverse as the people who celebrate it, which neither the text nor the images—all of the people appear to be Asian—fully acknowledges. Also unclear is the book’s intended audience. With large blocks of explication on every spread, it is entirely unappealing for the board-book set, and the format may make it equally unattractive to an older, more appropriate audience. Still, readers may appreciate seeing an important celebration warmly and vibrantly portrayed.
Lovely illustrations wasted on this misguided project. (Board book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3303-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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