Since 2021, Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday. However, the origin of the holiday goes back to 1865, when formerly enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas celebrated the end of slavery. To learn about Juneteenth, how it spread across the United States, the cultural impact, the flag and foods associated with it, and much more, here are 21 children’s books by Black authors for classroom, home, and community reading.
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1. A Song for Juneteenth
Zetta Elliott | Noa Denmon | Little, Brown BYR | May 19, 2026 | Amazon | Bookshop
2. Juneteenth
Tonya Abari | Ashley Evans | Words & Pictures | April 7, 2026 | Amazon | Bookshop
3. Juneteenth (A We Celebrate Book)
Little Feminist | Dolisha Mitchell | Ashley Jefferson | Abrams Appleseed | April 7, 2026 | Amazon | Bookshop
4. Tell Me About Juneteenth
Kortney Nash | DeAndra Hodge | Godwin Books | May 20, 2025 | Amazon | Bookshop
5. So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story
Anne Wynter | Jerome Pumphrey | Clarion Books | May 6, 2025 | Amazon | Bookshop
6. Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth
Tonya Abari | Tabitha Brown | Mudpuppy | April 11, 2023 | Amazon | Bookshop
7. The Story of Juneteenth
Dorena Williamson | Markia Jenai | WorthyKids | May 3, 2022 | Amazon | Bookshop
8. The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate
Alliah L. Agostini | Chef Taffy Elrod | Sawyer Cloud | Becker & Mayer | April 2, 2024 | Amazon | Bookshop
9. Juneteenth Is
Natasha Tripplett | Daniel J. O’Brien | Chronicle | April 9, 2024 | Amazon | Bookshop
10. They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park
Tonya Duncan Ellis | Jenin Mohammed | Balzer + Bray | May 14, 2024 | Amazon | Bookshop
11. Juneteenth
Van G. Garrett | Reginald C. Adams | Samson Bimbo Adenugba | Versify | May 2, 2023 | Amazon | Bookshop
12. The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story
Glenda Armand | Corey Barksdale | Crown BYR | May 2, 2023 | Amazon | Bookshop
13. Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise
Lavaille Lavette | David Wilkerson | Golden Books | May 2, 2023 | Amazon | Bookshop
14. A Flag for Juneteenth
Kim Taylor | Neal Porter Books | January 3, 2023 | Amazon | Bookshop
15. Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle | Alex Bostic | Union Square Kids | May 24, 2022 | Amazon | Bookshop
16. The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States
Alliah L. Agostini | Sawyer Cloud | becker&mayer! kids | May 3, 2022 | Amazon | Bookshop
17. Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free
Alice Faye Duncan | Keturah A. Bobo | Thomas Nelson | January 11, 2022 | Amazon | Bookshop
18. Juneteenth: A Children’s Story
Opal Lee | Peter Viska | Unity Unlimited Inc. | March 3, 2022 | Amazon | Bookshop
19. All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
Angela Johnson | E.B. Lewis | Simon & Schuster BYR | May 6, 2014 | Amazon | Bookshop
20. Juneteenth for Mazie
Floyd Cooper | Capstone | February 1, 2015 | Amazon | Bookshop
21. Juneteenth Jamboree
Carole Boston Weatherford | Yvonne Buchanan | Lee & Low Books | August 1, 2007 | Amazon | Bookshop
