This emotional and lyrical picture book by acclaimed poet Zetta Elliott celebrates the importance of Juneteenth as well as the resilience of Black families and the power of community- featuring stunning illustrations from Caldecott Honoree Noa Denmon.

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- from the creative duo behindA Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart,which won a Caldecott Honor.

Zetta Elliottis an award-winning author of over forty books for young readers. Her first young adult poetry collection,Say Her Name, was nominated for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award. Her picture book,A Place Inside of Me: a Poem to Heal the Heart, was a Caldecott Honoree and named a 2021 Notable Poetry Book by the National Council of Teachers of English. Her poetry has been published inWe Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices;New Daughters of AfricaandThe Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South. She lives in Chicago, IL. Her website is zettaelliott.com.

Noa Denmonis the Caldecott Honor Award winning illustrator ofA Place Inside of Me.She loves to uplift and depict the stories of the underrepresented, and hopes to create work that displays humanity in all of its differences. You can connect with her at https: //noadenmon.com/.

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publish Date: May 19, 2026
• Pages: 40
• Language: English
• Type: Hardback
• EAN/UPC: 9780316575133
• Dimensions: 11.3 X 8.8 X 0.4 inches | 0.93 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Kids