Today’s Picture Book Postcard is from Happy Birthday, America!.
It’s time to celebrate our country’s birthday, and everyone is invited to the party!
On a hot summer day, a family heads to the local park, where everyone in town has gathered for a party unlike any other. There are games, music, food, and—best of all—a huge fireworks display! There’s a reason behind all of the fun and festivities, though: the freedom of the celebration reminds everyone why the United States was founded two hundred and fifty years ago.
Happy Birthday, America!
Author: Roxanne Troup
Illustrator: Jennifer Doehring
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Publication Date: May 7, 2026
Fun Resources and Educational Materials: https://www.roxannetroup.com/4july.html
The spark for this book came as I was working on an educational piece about the history of fireworks. I remembered my first fireworks display—the colors, the sharp scent and noise, the deep-in-your-chest feeling as each firework exploded. As I wrote about the experience, I realized it would be perfect for a picture book.
– Author Roxanne Troup
About Author Roxanne Troup
Award-winning author, Roxanne Troup, writes picture books that celebrate wonder and can be used in the classroom. Roxanne lives in the mountains of Colorado and enjoys hiking with her family, gazing at stars, and exploring our amazing world through stories. With a background in education, she loves visiting schools to water seeds of literacy (and occasionally remembers to water the plants in her container garden).
Find out more about this author at www.roxannetroup.com.
About Illustrator Jennifer Doehring
Jennifer Doehring received a fine art degree from the University of California, Irvine, and owns an art studio called Palette Passions, where she teaches painting and drawing. In her spare time, Jennifer loves to backcountry camp and gathers most of her creative inspiration from nature. She lives in Southern California with her husband and their English bulldog, Snickers.
Find out more about this illustrator at www.jenniferdoehringbooks.com/.
Calling All Picture Book Authors
Do you have a picture book releasing soon? Would you like your new book featured on Picture Book Postcards? Learn more here: Picture Book Postcards Submission Info