Beautifully delicate watercolor illustrations leave a lasting impression of the story of Juneteenth, when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. The illustrator shows a range of reactions, trying to imagine what it was like. Back matter includes a timeline of important dates (1863-1865), a few paragraphs on "Juneteenth, Then and Now," a list of online sources, and a glossary of key terms. Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday the back matter is not perfectly up-to-date, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - this is still an incredibly worthwhile book. ( )

Such a beautifully written and illustrated book that explains the history and movement of celebrating Juneteenth. It's written with language and emotion children can understand.

A simple, beautiful telling of how news of freedom reached the last slaves in the South, those toiling in the hot Texas sun. Their celebration to mark the date lives on each June 19. Author’s Note, Illustrator’s Note, Timeline, Online Sources, Glossary.

There are two reasons I liked this book. In the picture book All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, narratives the day slaves would forever be free. The African American slaves, wake up to the news that they will now be forever free, no longer having to work in the cotton fields. The illustrator E.B. Lewis used watercolor paint. The illustrations give an illusion of photographs that have been stored in a storage as a memory keepsake. For example, the last illustration shows colors of browns, whites, faded blue and black. Only two cabins are shown with two wagons and a family walking away from the cabin. The writing fit in perfectly for the time period of this book. The words weren’t to lengthy or advanced for children to understand the change this day brough forward. The purpose of this book to for people to remember the day slaves were announced free. ( )

A young girl and her siblings wake to the smell of honeysuckle and set to work in the cotton fields as slaves. Paneled illustrations show news of their freedom spreading from "the port, to town, through the countryside, and into the fields." Once they receive word of their freedom, the girl's family eat, laugh, and tell stories into the night. The next day, she wakes to the same smell of honeysuckle, but everything is "all different now." The final page shows the former slaves leaving the fields with their belongings.
Simple, elegant, yet effective text used in this story: "that a Union general had read from a balcony that we were all now and forever free and things would be all different now." Angela Johnson very intentionally omits names and places; her purpose is feeling. She wants her audience to feel what people felt that day, Juneteenth. The details come after the story in a timeline of important dates from 1863-1865, the history of Juneteenth, online sources for further learning, and key terms defined in kid-friendly language. Excellent book. ( )