Kid Lit Reviews
Being a children’s historical fiction and a diversity book makes Juneteenth for Mazie a picture book that deserves more than a quick glance. . . .Cooper’s technique does give the spreads the look and feel of a time long ago that has aged, but never lost its details, despite repeat readings. . . .[Cooper] keeps the story and history lesson interesting, thoughtful, and accessible to young children.
Booklist
In his customary gauzy gold-and-brown illustrations, Cooper sandwiches historical images of figures picking cotton, fleeing “north to freedom,” and marching over a bridge, between contemporary scenes of Mazie snuggled up next to her dad, and dancing in a festive parade. . . .Other introductions to Juneteenth are more detailed, but this will give even young readers a glimmer of its significance.
Foreward Magazine
This sweet remembrance teaches about the day, known as Juneteenth, and celebrates freedom through the calm, assured tone and expressive faces of the characters. Somber shades of brown give the book a nostalgic, historical feel while remaining accessible and enjoyable for children today.
"3 Spunky heroines to share with your daughter for BookTrib
My girl loved the book’s gorgeous pictures, and as she learned about the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans throughout our country’s history, we were able to talk about such notable trailblazers as Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson and President Barak Obama. She even gave me a lesson about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whom she had just spent a month learning about in school. With the help of the book, this June, on the 150th anniversary of the first Juneteenth, Mazie and my little girl will be ready to celebrate together.
School Library Journal
01/01/2015
K-Gr 3—June 19, 2015 will mark the 150th anniversary of the day the Emancipation Proclamation made it to Texas (two years after the rest of the country heard it). This title offers context for that occasion, hailed as "Juneteenth." Cooper's signature oil wash and eraser technique elevates the presentation beyond the purely instructional. Like some of his predecessors who told this story (Valerie Wesley, Carol Boston Weatherford, etc.), this author frames the history of freedom in Texas with a present-day family's commemoration. Mazie is a young African American who bristles at age-related limits, such as cookie consumption and bedtime. Her father mentions that she will have a chance to celebrate tomorrow; explaining that her restrictions aren't so terrible, he says: "Well, Great, Great, Great Grandpa Mose heard 'no' even more." As he narrates, listeners see the profile of a boy in an endless cotton field, a man and woman running toward the North Star, the proclamation being read from a Texan balcony. Mazie's father covers ensuing civil rights' milestones, declaring, "Black people still struggled to stand shoulder to shoulder with White people." Cooper depicts the Selma to Montgomery March, a schoolroom, a church, and the rear view of a historic inauguration, making this a useful title for a bird's-eye perspective of the subject. For a treatment that focuses solely on that long ago day in Texas and imagines what the impact of the announcement would be on one slave family, see Angela Johnson's All Different Now (S. & S., 2014).—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library
MAY 2021 - AudioFile
Dual narrators bring reverence and joy to this audiobook about the June 19 anniversary known as Juneteenth. When portraying Mazie, Tyla Collier’s voice is youthful and impatient as she suffers the limits of common childhood restrictions. Then, Rhett Samuel Price’s deep, rich voice explains to Mazie how her enslaved ancestors had to wait two years after the Emancipation Proclamation to become free. Cheerful music provides an uplifting background as listeners hear a broad history of Juneteenth commemorations from then until now. The audiobook is engaging on its own, but families may want to view the illustrations as they listen to experience the full impact of the Juneteenth celebrations that are part of the story. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-10-15
A father shares an important holiday with his daughter.Mazie is unhappy because it is bedtime, and she would much rather stay up. She snuggles up to her father, who tells about a big celebration that will occur tomorrow—"on a day we call Juneteenth." It begins with "Great, Great, Great Grandpa Mose," who is a slave in the cotton fields until June 19, 1865, when freedom is finally proclaimed in Galveston, Texas. Dancing and celebrating in the streets greet the news. Equality does not necessarily follow, but the day is always remembered. Protests, education and forgiveness, continues the father in his narration, are part of the story, which culminates with the inauguration of Barack Obama. He promises Mazie a day of good food, fun and remembrance. Cooper's story is straightforward and aimed at an early-elementary audience, but it provides sufficient information to use with older children as an introduction to Juneteenth, which is marking its 150th anniversary in 2015. His full-page artwork—oil paintings in softly textured yellows and browns—captures the tender relationship between a father and daughter and the sadness and pride of their family story. Broad sweeps of history are encapsulated in double-page spreads focusing on determined, prayerful and happy faces. A quiet and informative picture of belated emancipation. (afterword) (Picture book. 4-9)
