FREE AT LAST: A Juneteenth Poem written by poet Sojourner Kincaid Rolle and illustrated by figurative artist Alex Bostic is a stunning picture book about the reaction to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation when word came to Galveston that the war was over. All enslaved people were not released from bondage until the actual passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
This exquisite poem reveals to the reader that some stayed on where they had been enslaved because it was the only home they knew, others worked the fields nearby for practically nothing except for a plot of land they could call their own, others gave thanks to God and yet others followed the Rio Grande to get as far away as they could. “Some kept running like a stone on a hill---never to grasp a firm place to rest.”
Alex Bostic, a figurative artist, captures every emotion running from surprise, to caution, to happiness and to thankfulness. The impactful illustrations in this book speak volumes including the picture that graces the cover of the book showing three generations feeling the history of slavery as well as the promise of freedom.
FREE AT LAST: A Juneteenth Poem written by Sojourner Kincade Rolle and illustrated by Alex Bostic is told in both poetic free verse and beautifully designed pictures for readers 4-8 years of age and up (Sterling Publishing/ Union Square Kids, 2022).
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Activity Questions for Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem
For older readers: In the Author’s Notes at the back of this book Sojourner Kincaid Rolle tells the reader which words hold the meaning of her poem for her. They are “endurance, perseverance, resilience and the joy of being alive.” Look up these four words and make sure you know their meaning. Then re-read the book looking for examples of these four words.
The illustrator, Alex Bostic, is called a figurative artist. He reveals much about what each character is feeling through facial expressions, gaze and body language. He often develops his portraits from photographs. Which portrait/illustrations in this book speak loudest to you?
Who do you think the three people on the cover of this book could be? Are they related? What are they looking at? Why is this cover so effective?
