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    • Alliah L. Agostini
    • Gabriele Davis
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    • Tina Athaide
    • Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH
    • Valerie Bolling
    • Tameka Fryer Brown
    • Aya Khalil
    • Natasha Khan Kazi
    • Kirstie Myvett
    • Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
    • Lisa Stringfellow
    • Kaitlyn Wells
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Alliah L. Agostini​

Alliah L. Agostini
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The Juneteenth Cookbook

Celebrate Juneteenth and radiate #BlackJoy through traditional food and cultural activities.

A commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, the Juneteenth holiday has been observed in the Black community for over 150 years. In The Juneteenth Cookbook, Alliah L. Agostini, author of the popular children's book The Juneteenth Story--which won the 2022 Black Kid Lit Award for Best Historical title--brings the tradition to your home through historically accurate recipes and educational family activities.

With captivating illustrations of 18 quick and easy recipes, follow along with little Alliah and her grandparents as they explore the historical origins of the holiday through food. Make, share, and enjoy kid-friendly takes on some of the most popular Juneteenth celebration foods, including:
  • Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches
  • Frances Price's Calico Potato Salad
  • Saucy Pulled Chicken Sliders with Bangin' Barbeque Sauce
  • Freedom Fizz (homemade red pop)
  • Hot Links & Chow Chow Relish
  • Corn Muffins with Hot Honey Butter
  • Mac 'n' Please
  • Sweet Potato Pie Bars
  • And more!
All recipes use simple and accessible ingredients, which can be easily substituted for a variety of diets and preferences. Each recipe can also easily be multiplied for larger groups, and the instructions are written with families in mind so everyone from toddler to grandparent can participate in crafting the ultimate Juneteenth celebration spread! Alongside all the delicious recipes, you'll also learn a brief history of barbeque and it's importance to the Juneteenth holiday and Black culture in America.

Publisher: Becker & Mayer
Publication April 02, 2024
Type: Hardcover
ISBN: ​‎
978-0760385791​

​Preorder here 

OPRAH WINFREY: A Little Golden Book Biography

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Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about talk show host, producer, and actor Oprah Winfrey. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers—as well as fans of all ages!​

This Little Golden Book about Oprah Winfrey–host of the highest-rated daytime talk show in American history, and one of the most influential and successful women in the world–is an inspiring read-aloud for young children, as well as their parents and grandparents.

Available for purchase here.

​
Publisher: Golden Books
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Type: Hardcover
ISBN: ​‎ 978059364525

Order on Bookshop

BIG TUNE: Rise of the Dancehall Prince

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​An exuberant picture book written by Alliah L. Agostini and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice is about a boy with big dancing dreams who learns the meaning of courage and community. 

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection​
Best Book of 2023 by New York Public Library
Chicago Public Library Best Board & Picture Books of 2023
SCBWI October 2023 Book Club Pick


It’s the weekend, first in June; speaker’s blasting out big tune!
Cousins, aunties, uncles, friends pack the house, and fun begins.

Shane is shy but loves to dance—and all year long, he’s picked up cans
to earn some money toward his goal: high-tops with a pump-up sole.

But then the speaker blows—it’s done! Will this stop his family’s fun?
Can Shane come through to save the day and bring back Big Tune Saturday?


Set within a vibrant Caribbean American neighborhood and told to a rhythmic beat, Big Tune is a story of Black boy joy that touches on determination, confidence to express who you are, selflessness, and community gratitude.

​
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication March 28, 2023
Type: Hardcover
ISBN: ​‎ 9780374389949


Available for purchase here.

The Juneteenth Story: ​Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States

Cover Coming Soon
With colorful illustrations and a timeline, this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom​.

On June 19, 1865—more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom. That day became a day of remembrance and celebration that changed and grew from year to year.

Learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news. The first Juneteenth began as “Jubilee Day,” where families celebrated and learned of their new rights as citizens. As Black Texans moved to other parts of the country, they brought their traditions along with them, and Juneteenth continued to grow and develop.

Today, Juneteenth’s powerful spirit has endured through the centuries to become an official holiday in the United States in 2021. The Juneteenth Story provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday.

​
Publisher: becker&mayer! kids
Publication May 3, 2022
Type: Hardcover
ISBN: ​‎ 9780760375143

Order on Bookshop

About Alliah

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Alliah L. Agostini has marketed everything from tampons to scrappy start-ups, but motherhood helped her return to her first love: children's literature. She writes to spread joy, truth, and to help more young readers see reflections of themselves on the page. Alliah is the author of non-fiction picture book The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States, the Kirkus-starred rhyming picture book BIG TUNE: Rise of the Dancehall Prince, Oprah Winfrey: A Little Golden Book Biography, The Juneteenth Cookbook, and more.

Alliah and her books have been featured on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, ESSENCE.com, Good Housekeeping, Amazon Editors' Picks, Scary Mommy, PBS.org, CNN, Washingtonpost.com, and more. She lives in New Jersey where she enjoys impromptu dance parties and making up jokes with her husband and two children. She has an A.B. and M.B.A. from Harvard.

Learn more about Alliah at http://www.alliahagostini.com
Follow her on Instagram or Twitter: @alliago
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