Independence Day Traditions- And Changes

July 4, 2020

This is surely the most unusual Independence Day since the original announcement of the Declaration. I can think of no better time to pause and reflect on what America's independence Day means, to whom, and why.
For a change, we are compelled to change our habits and traditions, which provides time and opportunity to broaden our view of what we've called "history", the narrow stories that led to a day of hot dogs and fire crackers. 
In light of COVID 19 and BLACK LIVES MATTER, there is no better place to begin to examine who WE are what WE are celebrating than this outstanding post from NPR. It requires only six minutes to listen to the words of Frederick Douglass, written and delivered more than 150 years ago. This amazing reading is done by his direct descendents, and is followed by some brief reflections from these inspiring young people. It is eerily suitable to our present times.
If six minutes sounds too long to you, remember that GEORGE FLOYD struggled for breath for nearly nine minutes before dying under the knee of a uniformed police officer in broad daylight... while being filmed! If you find that the words of Douglass make you uncomfortable, compare your discomfort to dying in a gutter while repeating I CAN"T BREATHE. 

Deal with your discomfort and listen:

CLICK Here to listen

Then, since this is a picture book blog, I'm linking you back to a post from seven years ago. It begins with a reflection about Superstorm Sandy and its disruption of celebrations, featuring reflections, some traditionally-themed titles, including one that attempts to shine a bit more light on George Washington as an enslaver. A last selection with my thoughts on why it (and other stories of community strength and support) should be celebrated on this holiday.
If you have the time and interest, CLICK HERE to read in full.

Just in case you used your available time viewing the speech delivery above, I'll save you that second  click by copying that final content here:

Finally, consider this story about another New York City icon, the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. As the backmatter says, it has two nicknames, "Big John" and "Saint John the Unfinished". The cornerstone was set  back in 1892 and it is still under construction. ME and MOMMA and BIG JOHN, by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by William Low, tells this remarkable story through a fictional family based on real New Yorkers. How does this fit with the Fourth of July? Think about that line in the document Washington signed: the right to the pursuit of happiness. 
Work on this massive cathedral was halted to divert funds to the ever-present needs of the neighborhood community, to those who lacked the means for survival, let alone pursuing happiness. Eventually the need for trained workers and the need for jobs coalesced to produce an apprenticeship program for craftsmen AND craftswomen to complete the construction. This book wins the trifecta of story, story-telling, and visual power.


So, my wishes for your holiday are for some thoughtful reflections that allow deeper appreciation for the freedoms you have enjoyed  throughout your lives, and a broadening awareness of the many ways in which such freedom, respect, and SAFETY to pursue happiness as equals have been systematically denied to those who are not White. A first step toward remedies is recognition of the problem. As someone recently said, you can't treat a cancer until you realize you have it.

Independence = Freedom to Dream

Politics, debates, polls, and protests are ubiquitous these days. (Sorry- I couldn't resist linking to an earlier post on both the word and the amazing book with that title.) When we celebrate Independence Day this Fourth of July, it calls to mind that the same conflict and turmoil existed in that historic revolutionary period, and in almost any other period in a robust democracy.

Rather than focus on the struggle and rancor that preceded our noble Declaration of Independence, I'll celebrate the results of  those struggles: a society in which girls and boys can aspire, can explore, can DREAM of any future of their choosing.

MY NAME IS NOT ISABELLA: Just How Big Can A Little Girl Dream? by Jennifer Fosberry, Illustrated by Mike Litwin. 2008.

Isabella's spends her otherwise routine day imagining herself as Sally Ride, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Mommy. She tucks in at night with the full intent of exploring possibilities even further in the coming days.

MY NAME IS NOT ALEXANDER: Just How Big Can A Little Kid Dream? Also by the Fosberry/Litwin team. 2011.

Alexander's day finds him inhabiting the lives of Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Chief Joseph, Fred Astaire, Jackie Robinson, and Daddy.

In both cases short biographic summaries of the names of historic figures are presented with photo images, vocabulary, bibliography, and website links. 

ISABELLA, GIRL ON THE GO, also by the Fosberry/Litwin team, is a 2012 sequel from Jabberwocky Books in which Isabella helps with common household chores while her imagination takes her around the world.

Check out some of the other  colorful and energized titles by illustrator Mike Litwin. And take a look at this YouTube video showing the progress of the illustrations for My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can A Little Girl Dream? 

There are several other related videos on the SourceBooks resource page.

Among Ben Franklin's many wise quotations, this one seems aimed directly at Isabella, Alexander, and every other child, past or present:
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."

Children living in lands without guarantees of freedom still dream. I believe that with all my heart. The legacy I celebrate, though, is that despite any vitriol, rage, or prejudice to which children in the USA may be exposed, they are also free to pursue their dreams, their happiness, to catch it for themselves.

In the interest of sharing some titles more directly associated with the period and players of the Revolutionary era, Ben Franklin offers a fine starting point.

BEN FRANKLIN: His Wit and Wisdom From A to Z by Alan Schroeder, illustrated by John O'Brien. Blending all the best features of an alphabet book, non-fiction text that is both informative and entertaining, quotes from Franklin's Almanacs, illustrations that extend content and generate laughs, this book works on every level. If you don't want to take my word for it, check out this Kirkus review. In fact, it would make an ideal handout at the political conventions later this summer. Perhaps it would inspire others to strive for more wit, wisdom, and eloquence in public discourse.


Here's hoping you'll find yourself hooked on picture books as you chill out on a scorching day. If so, look for other titles by Alan Schroeder,  Author of MINTY:A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, or consider this NYTimes review of this and other Americana titles.

When the physical or political temperatures rise to uncomfortable levels this summer, take a step away from the heat to reflect on our past and the heroes who built our country. Then take comfort in the     enthusiasm and energy of youth, trusting, as I do, in the promise of tomorrow. You won't need to go any further than the pages of good picture books to find them.

Any favorite titles you care to share? Comments always welcome.