A Day for Rememberin': Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day
by Leah Henderson (Author) Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
A moving tribute to the little-known history behind the first Memorial Day, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Floyd Cooper
Today is a special day. Eli knows it's important if he's allowed to miss one second of school, his "hard-earned right."
Inspired by true events and told through the eyes of a young boy, this is the deeply moving story about what is regarded as the first Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. Eli dresses up in his best clothes, Mama gathers the mayflowers, Papa straightens his hat, and together they join the crowds filling the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, with bouquets, crosses, and wreaths. Abolitionists, missionaries, teachers, military officers, and a sea of faces Black, Brown, and White, they march as one and sing for all those who gave their lives fighting for freedom during the Civil War.
With poignant prose and celebratory, powerful illustrations, A Day for Rememberin' shines light on the little-known history of this important holiday and reminds us never to forget the people who put their lives on the line for their country. The book is illustrated by award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper and includes archival photos in the back matter, as well as an author's note, bibliography, timeline, and index.
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Publishers Weekly
Transfixed by a photograph of an early assembly for Decoration Day--now observed as Memorial Day--Henderson (Together We March) was led to records of a similar ceremony held in Charleston, S.C., in April 1865. She imagines the event through the story of Eli, the 10-year-old son of a formerly enslaved man, newly freed. After Confederate surrender and subsequent emancipation, Eli's father works on a project at the racecourse, which once housed Union prisoners, many of whom died of exposure, disease, and starvation. But school comes first for Eli, according to his mother ("Masters locked away learning 'cause knowledge is its own freedom"). At last, the project is revealed: a cemetery "for the soldiers who lost their lives for our freedom." Oil erasure images by Coretta Scott King Award winner Cooper (Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History) portray Eli, his family, and their town in images whose power and presence invites lingering views. Henderson commemorates the way Eli's Black community remembers a painful piece of history--while honoring the people who experienced it. Back matter includes an author's note, information on the roots of Decoration Day, a timeline, and references. Ages 6-9. (May)■
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV016200 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - Civil War Period (1850-1877)
JUV017130 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Patriotic Holidays
African Americans
Picture books
United States
Historical fiction
Civil War, 1861-1865
Freedmen
Charleston (S.C.)
Memorial Day
