On the Fourth of July: A Sparkly Picture Book About Independence Day

by Maggie C. Rudd, Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator)

Overview

Happy birthday, America! This board book celebrates patriotism, community, and summertime.

We lift our flags high above us in pride, waving stars and stripes with red, white, and blue. It’s America’s birthday, and that means cookouts, parades, and fireworks. When the cookouts are over and the pool gates are closed, families will walk from their houses, parade into town, and look to the stars. Surrounded by neighbors and friends, they will watch the fireworks show in wonder as it glitters and sparkles and paints the sky in celebration of Independence Day!

On the Fourth of July is an energetic board book from Maggie C. Rudd, with sparkling illustrations by Elisa Chavarri, that serves as a joyous ode to American pride and uplifting traditions in our country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374392925
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	05/06/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Maggie C. Rudd is the author of I'll Hold Your Hand, On the Fourth of July, On the Days After Christmas, On the Last Day of School and the middle grade novel, How To Stay Invisible. When she isn't writing, she is teaching high school, making forts, or outside getting muddy with her kids. She lives in rural North Carolina with her family.

Elisa Chavarri is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including I’ll Hold Your Hand by Maggie C. Rudd and the Pura Belpré Honor–winning book Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello. Originally from Lima, Peru, she did much of her growing up in Northern Michigan, where she now resides with her husband and two small children.

Editorial Reviews

"A jaunty, kid-friendly celebration of the Fourth of July." —Kirkus

"This colorful, multicultural Fourth of July story will be a welcome read-aloud for the holiday." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2023-04-12
A town observes Independence Day.

This colorful, rhyming picture book spotlights families celebrating a standard American Fourth of July. There are references to sparklers, cookouts, and parades as a sunny day transitions into night, building anticipation for a fireworks show. A lengthy description of an unnamed town’s big display dominates the story, ending with a good night’s sleep as children “dream of the colors red, white, and blue.” Written in a loose ABCB rhyme scheme with occasionally diverse meter, this is more like a structured list of things an American child might expect to see on that particular date than a story. Rather than following a specific character or group or coalescing around a plot or idea, the book depicts a racially diverse group of youngsters and their adults (many of whom are members of the armed forces, indicated by their clothes) who are simply celebrating. There’s very little information about the holiday itself, and the only hint as to the “why” of the day is a single page’s mention of honking horns and a vague reference to “let freedom ring” and a cheer of “Happy birthday, America.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A jaunty, kid-friendly celebration of the Fourth of July, though light on story and background information. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews