Elijah's Easter Suit

Illustrated by Emmanuel Boateng
In a story full of style, sass, and significance, a young boy goes on a quest for the perfect Easter church outfit, inspired by elders from his community. Along the way learns about the importance of Easter traditions to his family, his ancestors, and the Black church.

A BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR


Elijah is on a mission to find the perfect church outfit for Easter. But when failed attempts at his town’s stores leave Elijah disappointed, an important conversation with Deacon Brown and Mother Green about tradition, culture, and clothing gives him the courage to create his own Easter masterpiece: a patchwork of perfection that tells his story with style.

Families at Easter will appreciate seeing the themes of church and Black culture throughout Elijah's quest, in this sweet yet important story about a young boy's journey toward an understanding of those who came before him.

An afterword from the author delves into the traditions and culture of Black communities at Easter and the historical importance and significance of Easter clothing and style.
  • NOMINEE | 2026
    Donna Norvell Oklahoma Book Award
BRENTOM JACKSON is a psychotherapist who writes about the universal lessons within Black American culture. His work reflects his hope for the future, where every child can see themselves in the pages of a book. Elijah's Easter Suit is his debut children's book. Brentom lives in Texas with his wife and son. Follow him on Instagram at @brentomjackson and on Twitter at @BrentomJackson. View titles by Brentom Jackson
EMMANUEL BOATENG is a Ghanaian self-taught artist, born and raised in the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region. See his work on Instagram at @mind.of.el. View titles by Emmanuel Boateng

Classroom Activities for Elijah's Easter Suit

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

In a story full of style, sass, and significance, a young boy goes on a quest for the perfect Easter church outfit, inspired by elders from his community. Along the way learns about the importance of Easter traditions to his family, his ancestors, and the Black church.

A BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR


Elijah is on a mission to find the perfect church outfit for Easter. But when failed attempts at his town’s stores leave Elijah disappointed, an important conversation with Deacon Brown and Mother Green about tradition, culture, and clothing gives him the courage to create his own Easter masterpiece: a patchwork of perfection that tells his story with style.

Families at Easter will appreciate seeing the themes of church and Black culture throughout Elijah's quest, in this sweet yet important story about a young boy's journey toward an understanding of those who came before him.

An afterword from the author delves into the traditions and culture of Black communities at Easter and the historical importance and significance of Easter clothing and style.

Awards

  • NOMINEE | 2026
    Donna Norvell Oklahoma Book Award

Author

BRENTOM JACKSON is a psychotherapist who writes about the universal lessons within Black American culture. His work reflects his hope for the future, where every child can see themselves in the pages of a book. Elijah's Easter Suit is his debut children's book. Brentom lives in Texas with his wife and son. Follow him on Instagram at @brentomjackson and on Twitter at @BrentomJackson. View titles by Brentom Jackson
EMMANUEL BOATENG is a Ghanaian self-taught artist, born and raised in the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region. See his work on Instagram at @mind.of.el. View titles by Emmanuel Boateng

Guides

Classroom Activities for Elijah's Easter Suit

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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