Lavaille Lavette, a New York Times best-selling author, said her greatest satisfaction is telling stories about people, places, things, and events that everyone should remember.
“Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise,” her most recent work, is a gorgeously illustrated “Little Golden Book” about a little boy’s first Juneteenth celebration. The book aims to teach young readers about Juneteenth, a national holiday honoring the abolition of slavery in the United States.
“I wrote this book in the way that I imagine learning about Juneteenth for the first time as a child growing up in Louisiana,” Lavette stated in a news release.
“It is important to keep the story of Juneteenth alive because it helps us remember the past while improving the present we live in as we build the future we seek,” continued Lavette, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and accounting and a master’s degree in education management.
Lavette has worked as a special advisor to the United States Secretary of Education and the president, publisher, and managing partner of One Street Books, Lavette Books, and Ebony Media Publishing LLC. She has also worked as both a teacher and a school administrator.
Lavette said an early pandemic conversation with her mother inspired her text.
“My mom told me that she grew up celebrating Juneteenth. Juneteenth was a big deal during her childhood, with fanfare that included zydeco music, two-step dancing, all types of food and treats, and fellowship with friends and family,” Lavette recalled. “The tradition was spearheaded by my mother’s father, and when he died the tradition ended. I must admit that during my childhood, we did not talk about Juneteenth. I knew very little about it growing up.”
Lavette stated that she didn’t understand the Juneteenth celebrations and traditions until she moved to Houston as an adult and elementary school teacher.
In Texas, elected leaders celebrated Juneteenth in schools and churches, and many African American business owners observed the day by closing their doors.
“Now, that was something special,” Lavette recalled.
Some of the proceeds from “Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise” sales have been pledged to the National Urban League’s youth programs.
Lavette characterized herself as an enthusiastic supporter of the National Urban League and its goals and expressed her desire to assist the organization in continuing to inspire young minds and effect lasting change.
Jayylen.com offers a free “Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise” Teacher’s Resource Guide and Parent Guide to supplement the educational experience.
“Children’s books are not just for children. I’m very intentional in introducing Jayylen as a ‘Little Golden Book’ because ‘Little Golden Books’ 24 pages, usually between 700 and 1,000 words,” stressed Lavelle. “That means you have to be very concise. You have to get a lot of information without a lot of words. So, you have to be very descriptive in how you present the stories. It makes it very entertaining and interesting for kids, but also for adults.”
Lavelle said she’d had a lot of positive feedback on her Juneteenth book and other children’s biographies.
“Because a one- or two-year-old is not reading, that means the parent is going to read the book to the child,” Lavette concluded. “The parent is going to learn something, as well. And that age group, I love that zero to six because it allows me to disseminate information–not only to the kid– but also to the parent.”
This article was originally published by the San Diego View and Viewpoint.
