They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park

A moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas--and the origins of Juneteenth.

When people visit me, they are free--to run, play, gather, and rejoice.

They built me to remember.

On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.

In the voice and memory of the park itself--its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people--the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America--and the promise of a people to remember.

Author: Tonya Duncan Ellis
Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: 05/14/2024
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.93lbs
Size: 11.20h x 8.75w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9780063286054

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 2.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 554345 / They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2024
Publishers Weekly 03/25/2024
Booklist 04/15/2024 pg. 43
School Library Journal 07/01/2024 pg. 75

About the Author
Ellis, Tonya Duncan: -

Tonya Duncan Ellis is a former journalist and the author of the Sophie Washington series. She lives in Houston, Texas. You can visit her at tonyaduncanellis.com.

Mohammed, Jenin: -

Jenin Mohammed, winner of the 2020 Summer Spectacular Illustration Grand Prize, is the illustrator of the picture books Naming Ceremony, Song in the City, Super Mom, and All the Places We Call Home. She also draws the slice-of-life comic Knot Write Now. She lives in Florida. You can find her online at jeninmohammed.com.