So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story

The celebrated author of Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Nell Plants a Tree and a Caldecott Honor artist come together for a poetic picture book introduction to Juneteenth and its origin.

Oh, how you would dance! How you would sing! How you would celebrate!

With lyrical text from Anne Wynter and radiant artwork from Jerome Pumphrey, this poetic picture book explains the history behind Juneteenth celebrations. So Many Years simultaneously acknowledges the history of slavery in the US as well as the astonishing Black resilience that has led to an enduring legacy of Black joy.

Anne Wynter is the author of numerous board books and picture books, including So Many Years, Everybody in the Red Brick Building, and Nell Plants a Tree, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Golden Kite Award and was selected as the 2023 Texas Great Read. Originally from Houston, Texas, Anne currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her family. To learn more or say hello, visit annewynter.com.

Jerome Pumphrey is an award-winning author and illustrator. He makes books for kids, often with his brother, Jarrett. Their books include the Caldecott Honor-winning There Was a Party for Langston, written by Jason Reynolds; The Last Stand, written by Antwan Eady; It's a Sign!, an Elephant & Piggie Like Reading book; Somewhere in the Bayou, a Texas 2x2 List Selection; and their author-illustrator debut, The Old Truck, which received seven starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and received the Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor. Originally from Houston, he works primarily from his home office in Georgetown, Texas, where he lives with his wife and their three kids.

Praise for So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story:

"All will come away enlightened and moved by this deeply felt celebration of the resilience of the human spirit." - Kirkus Reviews

"So Many Years provides a thought provoking and easy-to-understand message that teaches even the youngest readers why Juneteenth is a cause for celebration." - Booklist

"Thoughtful yet concise text and stunning illustrations." - BookPage

"It's a moving tribute that converses with history's resonances while moving forward in time." - Publishers Weekly

"Vibrant illustrations and spare, lyrical text. An informative author's note provides more historical detail." - Horn Book Magazine