A solid option for introducing the historical context of the holidays.
The holidays of Emancipation Day and Juneteenth are occasions for learning about the U.S. history of slavery, abolitionism, and emancipation.
In order to learn the meaning and significance of “Emancipation” and “Juneteenth,” readers first learn about “a terrible part of America’s history called slavery” and the brave heroes and heroines who fought to end it. A section called “How Did Slavery Begin in America?” explains how traders brought captured Africans across the ocean in chains, then sold them in markets to white owners, who became dependent on slave labor. This section points out that the rights and equality established in the Declaration of Independence did not include the enslaved population. Next, sections on Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman describe the hard work that such abolitionists undertook. A section on the Civil War includes the Compensated Emancipation Act and the military operation Harriet Tubman led to help the Union Army rescue slaves. This section includes mention of the “Black Codes” that limited African-Americans’ freedom for many more years. The final few pages detail the history of the District of Columbia Emancipation Day holiday and the origin and traditions of the Juneteenth celebrations in Texas and elsewhere. Vivid modern photographs and historical illustrations cover half of every spread. Packed with information but more engaging than a textbook, this volume, like others in the series (Let’s Celebrate Women’s Equality Day publishes simultaneously), uses an honest yet positive approach to presenting the fight against injustice in U.S. society.
A solid option for introducing the historical context of the holidays. (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-63592-061-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Press
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective.
Did Christopher Columbus really “discover” a new world? Did the Pilgrims invite the Wampanoag to a friendly First Thanksgiving? Is July 4 truly the nation’s birthday?
Readers familiar with traditional narratives of America’s founding are invited to interrogate those myths in this interactive exploration of early U.S. history. A strong introductory framework asks whose stories endure and whose have been erased from the history books, emphasizing that Indigenous peoples remain part of the present, not just the past. Each spread presents a common misconception, then asks readers to flip assumptions aside by lifting a partial gatefold that reveals the true story beneath. Well-sourced explanations elevate figures and communities often excluded from history books, including women, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Bold colors, graphic-heavy layouts, and energetic illustrations that make creative use of historical photos and images break complex ideas into bite-size pieces that encourage browsing over linear reading. A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap “True or False” quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic. Though the book’s busy, nonlinear design may prove challenging for some, on the whole it works very well as an engaging historical overview. The content assumes a foundational knowledge of early U.S. history, making it most suitable for older elementary readers, though some visual choices skew younger. Backmatter includes more historical information and background on the book’s creation.
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective. (glossary, resources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798888599082
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
An enthralling historical account.
Rentetzi tells a lesser-known but inspiring story of science and politics.
In 1958, the U.S. donated two mobile labs to the International Atomic Energy Agency to demonstrate how, in the wake of World War II, nuclear power could be used for good. The vehicles visited four continents, providing global scope to the project. From the book’s first spread, which refers to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and includes an image of a mushroom cloud), Rentetzi’s clear, concise text, translated from Dutch, explains the hope that the labs would allow scientists to make advances in agriculture, medicine, and industry. Scientists “with or without lab coats, with or without shoes” attended training sessions and applied what they’d learned to local challenges. De Decker’s precise, powerful line-and-color artwork—a mix of vignettes and full-page spreads, some recalling classic Northern European art—depicts people, landscapes, monuments, transport vehicles, local animals, and the inside of a science lab in the late 1950s. Details from the text are artistically integrated, like a world map and the painted flags that record the countries the mobile labs visited. While the tone is overall positive, Rentetzi acknowledges the complex political undercurrents of the project, noting that the U.S. government sought to make scientists around the world dependent on American technology, thus giving the U.S. an edge over the Soviet Union.
An enthralling historical account. (more information on the mobile labs) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890632456
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
