Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise (Presented by Ebony Jr.)

Created in partnership with Ebony Jr., this inspiring Little Golden Book tells the story of one young boy’s first experience celebrating Juneteenth.

When Jayylen’s grandfather, Paw Paw Jimmy, begins preparing for a big Juneteenth celebration, Jayylen has a lot of questions. Most importantly, what is Juneteenth? His mother and Paw Paw Jimmy explain that the holiday marks the anniversary of when enslaved African Americans found out that they were free. Paw Paw Jimmy plays some zydeco for him, which is the type of music they will dance to at the celebration. Jayylen practices every day so that he will be able to play the frottoir (a percussion instrument similar to a washboard) for everyone. But will he be able to pull off an even bigger surprise for the day?

Since 1945, Ebony magazine has shined a spotlight on the worlds of Black people in America and worldwide, telling their stories. Ebony Jr! was created in 1973 to give Black children a magazine that was all their own. The magazine included stories, comics, puzzles, and cartoons centering Black children. Its mission was to ignite a love of reading and a love of self in Black kids, and we’re continuing that with our LGB program.