The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story

“’Twas the night before freedom, and all through the South/ long-whispered rumors had spread, word of mouth.” In this historically insightful nested narrative, Armand employs anapestic verse to rhythmically narrate the events of the first Juneteenth as told through the lens of a Black family’s present-day Juneteenth celebration. In Galveston, Tex., young David experiences a festivities-filled day, the highlight of which is Grandma’s recitation of her great-grandmother’s experiences as a child on June 19, 1865. Using a bold color palette to render stylized landscapes and patterns in the past and present, debut illustrator Barksdale depicts individuals receiving the news of freedom via a white soldier reading the Emancipation Proclamation, followed by celebratory reactions. Combining an elder’s telling with saturated images, the creators offer up a moving portrayal of intergenerational memory, Juneteenth’s meaning, and “all the things that true liberty brings.” A contextualizing afterword concludes. Ages 4–8. (May)