The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story by Glenda Armand, Corey Barksdale
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on May 2, 2023
ISBN: 0593567463
Pages: 40
Genres: Cultural / African American
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

As the family gathers together to hear Grandmother’s annual retelling of the story of Juneteenth, author Armand channels Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas” to convey the excitement and promise the day brought to their ancestors. Freedom is a gift and like the coming of Christmas morning, the people of Galvaston, Texas anticipated the joy it would bring. With beautiful, flowing illustrations done in an expressionistic style, illustrator Corey Barksdale evokes movement and highlights the colors and emotions the family experienced on Juneteenth and after.  An author’s note offers a clear historical explanation of Juneteenth and explains Armand’s homage to Moore’s meter and original subject matter (the coming of Christmas). A lovely addition to a holiday or history section in a school or public library.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Middle School