A Song for Juneteenth

COMING IN MAY!

This emotional and lyrical picture book by acclaimed poet Zetta Elliott, with breathtaking illustrations by Caldecott Honor Award-winning illustrator Noa Denmon, celebrates the importance of Juneteenth as well as the resilience of Black families and the power of community.

Black child
you were birthed from a
dark
jeweled expanse
infinite and vast
but holy as the womb

Never forget it was HOPE that birthed you. . . .

From birth to beyond, from slavery to freedom, and from generation to generation, this powerful and evocative book shows the breadth and depth of Black history.

On sale May 19, 2026 from LBYR.

This emotionally resonant picture book that lyrically affirms and encourages Black children would serve well in a classroom, family, or community reading setting.

~ Booklist

Modeling community care, it’s a fervent work of collaboration and inheritance that urges moving forward while remembering the “hope/ that birthed/ you” and that “you are/ deeply loved.”

~ Publishers Weekly

A lyrical affirmation that enfolds Black children within a legacy of love, care, and belonging…Though the book is addressed to Black children, its message of love, action, and collective liberation extends beyond its intended audience.

~ Kirkus Reviews

Elliott shapes a long, flowing single sentence into an affirming, evocative direct-address poem…Wrapped in comfort by adoring parents, as shown in Denmon’s warm-hearted, color-saturated mixed-media illustrations, the child begins to grow and explore…In the end, the child is surrounded by strong arms, smiling faces, and unmistakable love. Elliott’s thoughtful and straightforward author’s note describes her initial ambivalence and evolving feelings about Juneteenth within the context of other historical and ongoing systemic injustices against Black people.

~ Horn Book