The Juneteenth cookbook Recipes and activities for kids and families to celebrate

Billed as a cookbook, this upbeat, brightly illustrated offering goes far beyond, promoting a variety of ways to celebrate Juneteenth. Historical and social background set the tone, while suggestions for games, DIY T-shirts, field trips, and playlists encourage families to come together. There are plenty of recipes, from dishes featuring foods with African and Caribbean roots (okra, blackeyed peas, rice, watermelon) barbecue being a culinary art enslaved people learned and adopted for survival and celebration to mac 'n' cheese (a dish made popular in the U.S. and credited to Thomas Jefferson's enslaved chef, James Hemings). Many offerings incorporate the color red (red lemonade, red velvet ice cream), variously attributed as a reference to the spilled blood of ancestors, to the Pan-African flag, and to African kola nuts--symbols of strength and hospitality. The step-by-step directions usually require adult supervision; most recipes yield 8 to 12 servings. Although the illustrations portray exclusively Black and brown characters, there is ongoing emphasis on how Juneteenth is now a national holiday, celebrated by families and communities across the U.S.

Gr 1--5--Agostini has written multiple books about Juneteenth, and her expertise shines in these pages. The book opens with a nice explainer about the holiday, noting that while the celebration of Emancipation had been observed for over 150 years, it only became a federal holiday in 2021. Throughout the book, readers follow a little girl named Alliah and her grandparents as they prepare for their Juneteenth festivities. Chapters focus on drinks, appetizers, mains, sides, and desserts, with interspersed sections about the history and symbolism of certain foods, suggested field trips to areas that have special significance around the holiday, playlists, and games. Cloud's artwork is a gorgeous accompaniment to Agostini's recipes, bursting with a summery wholesomeness. Each recipe is given a full-page illustration and portrayed in vibrant, appetizing colors. Ingredients are healthy, inexpensive, and widely available. Of note is Agostini's collaboration with a professional chef, Elrod, ensuring that this is not merely a Juneteenth book that happens to contain a few recipes, but rather a rich and full cookbook honoring a deeply meaningful celebration of freedom. VERDICT A beautiful collection of recipes marking an important national holiday, highly recommended for school and public libraries.--Kate Newcombe