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Rosa
She had not sought this moment but she was ready for it. When the policeman bent down to ask “Auntie, are you going to move?� all the strength of all the people through all those many years joined in her. She said, “No.�
A picture book account of Rosa Park's historic choice.
A picture book account of Rosa Park's historic choice.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
49 people are currently reading
4,144 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Giovanni
162Ìýbooks1,331ÌýfollowersYolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. was an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets, her work includes poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, and nonfiction essays, and covers topics ranging from race and social issues to children's literature. She won numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her poetry album, The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. Additionally, she was named as one of Oprah Winfrey's 25 "Living Legends". Giovanni was a member of The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective.
Giovanni gained initial fame in the late 1960s as one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement. Influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement of the period, her early work provides a strong, militant African-American perspective, leading one writer to dub her the "Poet of the Black Revolution". During the 1970s, she began writing children's literature, and co-founded a publishing company, NikTom Ltd, to provide an outlet for other African-American women writers. Over subsequent decades, her works discussed social issues, human relationships, and hip hop. Poems such as "Knoxville, Tennessee" and "Nikki-Rosa" have been frequently re-published in anthologies and other collections.
Giovanni received numerous awards and holds 27 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities. She was also given the key to over two dozen cities. Giovanni was honored with the NAACP Image Award seven times. One of her more unique honors was having a South America bat species, Micronycteris giovanniae, named after her in 2007.
Giovanni was proud of her Appalachian roots and worked to change the way the world views Appalachians and Affrilachians.
Giovanni taught at Queens College, Rutgers, and Ohio State, and was a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech until September 1, 2022. After the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, she delivered a chant-poem at a memorial for the shooting victims.
Giovanni gained initial fame in the late 1960s as one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement. Influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement of the period, her early work provides a strong, militant African-American perspective, leading one writer to dub her the "Poet of the Black Revolution". During the 1970s, she began writing children's literature, and co-founded a publishing company, NikTom Ltd, to provide an outlet for other African-American women writers. Over subsequent decades, her works discussed social issues, human relationships, and hip hop. Poems such as "Knoxville, Tennessee" and "Nikki-Rosa" have been frequently re-published in anthologies and other collections.
Giovanni received numerous awards and holds 27 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities. She was also given the key to over two dozen cities. Giovanni was honored with the NAACP Image Award seven times. One of her more unique honors was having a South America bat species, Micronycteris giovanniae, named after her in 2007.
Giovanni was proud of her Appalachian roots and worked to change the way the world views Appalachians and Affrilachians.
Giovanni taught at Queens College, Rutgers, and Ohio State, and was a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech until September 1, 2022. After the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, she delivered a chant-poem at a memorial for the shooting victims.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 772 reviews
August 8, 2019
A wonderfully told story about the day Rosa Parks didn’t give up her seat on the bus and the movement that it started. The artwork is watercolor and collage. I found it interesting to look at.
The one bit of confusion that I have is I have heard from many sources that Rosa had been practicing her resistance and how to handle the situation and what to do. I had heard that she planned this. This book is saying that it was not premeditated. It was an in the moment situation. Honestly, I don’t know which source to believe. My brother is a social worker who has studied civil rights extensively, so I tend to trust him on this. I guess it doesn’t really matter. The important part is Rosa Parks decided to sit down on purpose.
The kids were mystified at why this was such an issue. They can hardly make sense of it. In their world, thank goodness, they just can’t understand what is going on here. The niece did think Rosa was brave and the nephew did too. Yet, the nephew thought the story was somewhat boring. A lady sat on a bus and got arrested. He’s more into more exciting matters. The niece didn’t think it was boring, but she had a hard time understanding the reason it needs a story. My brother talked to her the next day about it. The nephew gave this 2 stars and the niece gave them 3 stars. Nonfiction is a hard sell to my nephew at the moment.
The one bit of confusion that I have is I have heard from many sources that Rosa had been practicing her resistance and how to handle the situation and what to do. I had heard that she planned this. This book is saying that it was not premeditated. It was an in the moment situation. Honestly, I don’t know which source to believe. My brother is a social worker who has studied civil rights extensively, so I tend to trust him on this. I guess it doesn’t really matter. The important part is Rosa Parks decided to sit down on purpose.
The kids were mystified at why this was such an issue. They can hardly make sense of it. In their world, thank goodness, they just can’t understand what is going on here. The niece did think Rosa was brave and the nephew did too. Yet, the nephew thought the story was somewhat boring. A lady sat on a bus and got arrested. He’s more into more exciting matters. The niece didn’t think it was boring, but she had a hard time understanding the reason it needs a story. My brother talked to her the next day about it. The nephew gave this 2 stars and the niece gave them 3 stars. Nonfiction is a hard sell to my nephew at the moment.
February 4, 2017
The story of how one woman's bravery led to a bus boycott which eventually led to desegregated buses.
The stunning artwork by is a highlight.
I read this because I could not be in Washington today . . .
The stunning artwork by is a highlight.
I read this because I could not be in Washington today . . .
Read
March 4, 2019Marvelous illustrations by Bryan Collier accompanied this incredible story. Nikki Giovanni writes of the historic moment when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and the movement this action ignited. I loved the background that was set, telling of injustice and racism in simple words and also of the broader movement and the individuals and groups that came together in a stand against oppression.
A brilliant children's book that has a lot teach everyone.
A brilliant children's book that has a lot teach everyone.
February 7, 2017
This book shared everything that happened to Rosa Parks on the day that she said no to moving bus seats. It then talked about the women that made it possible to boycott. It was really cool to hear about the professor and her friends that made all the flyers. You never learn about them.
The illustrations were beautiful.
The illustrations were beautiful.
February 24, 2021
Featured in a grandma reads session.
This book was an opportunity to revisit the story of Rosa Parks and get it in front of my eager listening league. One never knows what stories children have heard or haven't, or often or not at all. Rosa is one of my heroes and so when the book popped up available in Libby, I grabbed it!
They all were leaning in and listening, and asked questions about whether anyone really paid attention to all that sorting of people - did anyone really care if someone used the wrong bathroom or waterfountain? Interestingly one comment was along the lines of who would pay attention if a white person used a colored person's water fountain? Was there a policeman at every spot? Who put bus drivers in charge of yelling at people? On one hand this made me feel good about this group. On the other it troubled me just a little about the invisible challenges that yet exist and of which they are clearly unaware. . .so more work to do.
The book is well-written and the illustrations support the serious, somber tale. Thanks to the author and illustrator for getting this out in an accessible form for our youngest citizens.
This book was an opportunity to revisit the story of Rosa Parks and get it in front of my eager listening league. One never knows what stories children have heard or haven't, or often or not at all. Rosa is one of my heroes and so when the book popped up available in Libby, I grabbed it!
They all were leaning in and listening, and asked questions about whether anyone really paid attention to all that sorting of people - did anyone really care if someone used the wrong bathroom or waterfountain? Interestingly one comment was along the lines of who would pay attention if a white person used a colored person's water fountain? Was there a policeman at every spot? Who put bus drivers in charge of yelling at people? On one hand this made me feel good about this group. On the other it troubled me just a little about the invisible challenges that yet exist and of which they are clearly unaware. . .so more work to do.
The book is well-written and the illustrations support the serious, somber tale. Thanks to the author and illustrator for getting this out in an accessible form for our youngest citizens.
January 8, 2017
5 Stars
This is one really, really, really good book about Rosa and her life. I have learn a little bit about Rosa before in school, but I learned a lot more by just reading this book. I am really glad that I read it because there was so much I did not know about her. It is really interesting on how she suffered from just giving her seat to a white man. I would totally recommend this book to anyone.
This is one really, really, really good book about Rosa and her life. I have learn a little bit about Rosa before in school, but I learned a lot more by just reading this book. I am really glad that I read it because there was so much I did not know about her. It is really interesting on how she suffered from just giving her seat to a white man. I would totally recommend this book to anyone.
June 1, 2015
A Powerful Read With Beautiful Illustrations!!!
August 11, 2019
I love the illustrations and the story. However, I felt like the ending was abruptly finished. This is the only reason I did not give it 5 stars.
November 28, 2015
I loved how this book makes the Rosa Parks story personal, showing her workplace, her home life, the support from the Women's Political Council, and the things she might have considered during this very personal, and very political, struggle. As a plus, the artwork is very edgy and catchy; it has a kind of homemade collage effect.
Note for younger readers: I'm calling this a good book for age 7+, but it does mention the lynching of Emmett Till toward the end. It does not tell you what lynching means, so it is up to the parent how much to explain if your child asks what it means.
Note for younger readers: I'm calling this a good book for age 7+, but it does mention the lynching of Emmett Till toward the end. It does not tell you what lynching means, so it is up to the parent how much to explain if your child asks what it means.
November 7, 2017
Caldecott Honor 2006
A very touching story that shows Rosa Park's strength and integrity in a personal and moving text. It's a story that every child should know.
A very touching story that shows Rosa Park's strength and integrity in a personal and moving text. It's a story that every child should know.
August 17, 2020
Illustrator Brian Collier won a Caldecott Honor for this lovely book about Rosa Parks, and how she sparked a bus boycott that changed the world. The book was also awarded the Corretta Scott King award.
From the date of her arrest for sitting on a bus when a white man wanted her seat to the Supreme Court decision that segregation on buses was just as illegal and wrong as segregation in schools, nearly a year passed, and in Montgomery Alabama that entire year found black people and others who supported their cause walking.
And let's pause for a minute to acknowledge that Mrs. Parks arrest would not have been the catalyst for change if Dr. Jo Ann Robinson, a professor at Alabama State, the "colored" college, hadn't acted when she heard the news of the arrest on the bus. She was the Newly elected president of the Women's PoliticalCouncil though, and she acted right away. She called a meeting of the council for that night at 10 pm in her on campus office. There, the 25 members gathered, and with the unauthorized use of campus supples (stencil maker, printer and paper) they made fliers and signs announcing the bus boycott - "No Riders Today" "Stay Off Busses - Support Mrs. Parks" - and in the morning they posted them and passed them out, convincing other people to become civil rights through their participation in what became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The movement grew - The NAACP and all the black churches joined the cause, and Dr. Martin Luther King was selected to speak for the growing movement. "We will stay off the busses. We will walk until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." They walked for over a year, until on Nov 13, 1956 the Supreme Court made it's historic ruling.
Re-read, August 2020
Nikki Giovanni hides this gem on the acknowledgements page:
Rosa Parks is a cooling breeze on a sweltering day; a son dried quilt in the fall; the enchantment of snowflakes extending the horizon; the promise of renewal at spring. It is an honor and a responsibility to explore the bravery of her acceptance of history’s challenge.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: We will stay off the buses. We will walk until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
From the date of her arrest for sitting on a bus when a white man wanted her seat to the Supreme Court decision that segregation on buses was just as illegal and wrong as segregation in schools, nearly a year passed, and in Montgomery Alabama that entire year found black people and others who supported their cause walking.
And let's pause for a minute to acknowledge that Mrs. Parks arrest would not have been the catalyst for change if Dr. Jo Ann Robinson, a professor at Alabama State, the "colored" college, hadn't acted when she heard the news of the arrest on the bus. She was the Newly elected president of the Women's PoliticalCouncil though, and she acted right away. She called a meeting of the council for that night at 10 pm in her on campus office. There, the 25 members gathered, and with the unauthorized use of campus supples (stencil maker, printer and paper) they made fliers and signs announcing the bus boycott - "No Riders Today" "Stay Off Busses - Support Mrs. Parks" - and in the morning they posted them and passed them out, convincing other people to become civil rights through their participation in what became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The movement grew - The NAACP and all the black churches joined the cause, and Dr. Martin Luther King was selected to speak for the growing movement. "We will stay off the busses. We will walk until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." They walked for over a year, until on Nov 13, 1956 the Supreme Court made it's historic ruling.
Re-read, August 2020
Nikki Giovanni hides this gem on the acknowledgements page:
Rosa Parks is a cooling breeze on a sweltering day; a son dried quilt in the fall; the enchantment of snowflakes extending the horizon; the promise of renewal at spring. It is an honor and a responsibility to explore the bravery of her acceptance of history’s challenge.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: We will stay off the buses. We will walk until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
January 10, 2021
This picturebook biography is an inspiring, personal story about a famous American historical figure, Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger and became an icon of resistance against racial segregation.
Nikki Giovanni’s text is lengthy for a picturebook, but beautifully poetic:
Bryan Collier's textured watercolor and collage artwork is as pretty as it is creative:
Perhaps I’m spoiled by more recent non-fiction picturebooks that often come with extensive back matters, but I think a page or two with some historical context would be very useful in Rosa. Also, a little bit more information about what happened to Rosa Parks after her arrest would be nice, too.
Nikki Giovanni’s text is lengthy for a picturebook, but beautifully poetic:
“She sighed as she realized she was tired. Not tired from work but tired of putting white people first. Tired of stepping off sidewalks to let white people pass, tired of eating at separate lunch counters and learning at separate schools.
She was tired of ‘Colored� entrances, ‘Colored� balconies, ‘Colored� drinking fountains, and ‘Colored� taxis. She was tired of getting somewhere first and being waited on last. Tired of ‘separate,� and definitely tired of ‘not equal.’�
“She had not sought this moment, but she was ready for it.
When the policeman bent down to ask ‘Auntie, are you going to move?' all the strength of all the people through all those many years joined in her. Rosa Parks said no.�
Bryan Collier's textured watercolor and collage artwork is as pretty as it is creative:
Perhaps I’m spoiled by more recent non-fiction picturebooks that often come with extensive back matters, but I think a page or two with some historical context would be very useful in Rosa. Also, a little bit more information about what happened to Rosa Parks after her arrest would be nice, too.
December 14, 2012
Reviewed for
"4.5 stars" Rosa is a lovely rendering of Rosa Parks' courageous act in a picture book format that is accessible to younger readers. I think most people are familiar with Mrs. Parks refusal to move to the back of the bus which sparked a huge wave in the civil rights movement, but author, Nikki Giovanni, gives the reader a little more information about the before and after. She begins by giving a bit of background on Rosa Parks which even educated me. I didn't realize that she was married, caring for an elderly mother and worked as a seamstress. Ms. Giovanni continues by detailing Mrs. Parks act of civil disobedience which led to her arrest. I was a little disappointed that she didn't tell any more about Mrs. Parks herself following that event. Instead the author finishes up by explaining how Rosa Parks' actions sparked a whole movement which eventually led to the Supreme Court ruling against segregation.
Artist Bryan Collier's illustrations are a lovely compliment to the text. I really felt like he captured Rosa Parks' essence in the pictures of her and the details are amazing. The textures and patterns of the clothing and accessories as well as some other items were very realistic looking, almost more like a photograph than a painting. Each one also has a kind of pieced-together look. I spent quite a while perusing each one, trying to figure out how Mr. Collier accomplished this. It wasn't until I read on his website that he incorporates watercolors and collage that is started to make sense. All in all, some very impressive artistic work.
Rosa was the winner of both the Coretta Scott King award and a Caldecott Honor Book, both of which I think are well-deserved. Overall, it was a lovely book that would be a great tool for teaching younger children about Rosa Parks and this particular chapter in the civil rights movement.
"4.5 stars" Rosa is a lovely rendering of Rosa Parks' courageous act in a picture book format that is accessible to younger readers. I think most people are familiar with Mrs. Parks refusal to move to the back of the bus which sparked a huge wave in the civil rights movement, but author, Nikki Giovanni, gives the reader a little more information about the before and after. She begins by giving a bit of background on Rosa Parks which even educated me. I didn't realize that she was married, caring for an elderly mother and worked as a seamstress. Ms. Giovanni continues by detailing Mrs. Parks act of civil disobedience which led to her arrest. I was a little disappointed that she didn't tell any more about Mrs. Parks herself following that event. Instead the author finishes up by explaining how Rosa Parks' actions sparked a whole movement which eventually led to the Supreme Court ruling against segregation.
Artist Bryan Collier's illustrations are a lovely compliment to the text. I really felt like he captured Rosa Parks' essence in the pictures of her and the details are amazing. The textures and patterns of the clothing and accessories as well as some other items were very realistic looking, almost more like a photograph than a painting. Each one also has a kind of pieced-together look. I spent quite a while perusing each one, trying to figure out how Mr. Collier accomplished this. It wasn't until I read on his website that he incorporates watercolors and collage that is started to make sense. All in all, some very impressive artistic work.
Rosa was the winner of both the Coretta Scott King award and a Caldecott Honor Book, both of which I think are well-deserved. Overall, it was a lovely book that would be a great tool for teaching younger children about Rosa Parks and this particular chapter in the civil rights movement.
August 23, 2013
The illustrations spoke life, history, and define purpose like every stitch of a quilt--a prized jewel itself by Bryan Collier (magnificent pieces in one book).
I purchased this book in 2009 around Black History month, and months after the inauguration of President Obama but Nikki Giovanni enlightened me on some things that I never knew such as Rosa Parks being a good seamstress, seeing her in the light of being a mother and wife, as well as the traditions taken place near the special holiday: Christmas.
There may be some strong verbiage used but stresses the dissimulation among two races: Whites and Blacks; "evil custom" to get off the bus in the back for example. But as we know, the bus was full in the section where Blacks typically sat and saw free seats in the White section of the bus, where they sat. She was an atypical woman who refused to give up her seat, after a long day of work, and wanted to get home like anyone else that day who rode the bus. Yet, she probably had no idea that she was making a civil rights political statement and movement for years to come of which is no longer an issue when riding the bus. Moreover, her strength resonated and detested the racial treatment that happened currently as well as with her ancestors..."do what you have to do!" She was evidently fed up with the "colored signs" and knew of others taking a stand for such freedom too.
This book is highly recommended to children 9-12, but as an adult, I love the illustrations and the storyline of which drew me in, I would recommended to even adults or those who do not have a clarification of Rosa Parks as a whole. I was clearly absorbed in the story-telling and illustrations, picturing the entire experience.
Adrienna Turner, author of ten books
Dream4More Reviews:
I purchased this book in 2009 around Black History month, and months after the inauguration of President Obama but Nikki Giovanni enlightened me on some things that I never knew such as Rosa Parks being a good seamstress, seeing her in the light of being a mother and wife, as well as the traditions taken place near the special holiday: Christmas.
There may be some strong verbiage used but stresses the dissimulation among two races: Whites and Blacks; "evil custom" to get off the bus in the back for example. But as we know, the bus was full in the section where Blacks typically sat and saw free seats in the White section of the bus, where they sat. She was an atypical woman who refused to give up her seat, after a long day of work, and wanted to get home like anyone else that day who rode the bus. Yet, she probably had no idea that she was making a civil rights political statement and movement for years to come of which is no longer an issue when riding the bus. Moreover, her strength resonated and detested the racial treatment that happened currently as well as with her ancestors..."do what you have to do!" She was evidently fed up with the "colored signs" and knew of others taking a stand for such freedom too.
This book is highly recommended to children 9-12, but as an adult, I love the illustrations and the storyline of which drew me in, I would recommended to even adults or those who do not have a clarification of Rosa Parks as a whole. I was clearly absorbed in the story-telling and illustrations, picturing the entire experience.
Adrienna Turner, author of ten books
Dream4More Reviews:
August 15, 2017
A Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award recipient, "Rosa" is a picture book biography intended for ages 4-8. The story of how Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955 comes to life in an information-filled narrative accompanied by colorful, full-page illustrations.
In the start of the book, Giovanni spends a good amount of time introducing the readers to Rosa Parks' personal life, where she worked, who her husband and mother were, and why she sat where she sat on the bus that day, information that is usually omitted from accounts of this historic event that are intended for children. After Rosa Parks is arrested for not complying to the white bus driver's unreasonable request, the story takes a turn and becomes a lesson in civil rights, involving three other notable figures in the movement, and never returning to the intimate look inside Rosa's life. It was necessary to explain why her action was so monumental and what it caused, however, I do wish the author had given us just one more page about Rosa as a conclusion, staying true to the close narrative she hooked us in with at the beginning of the book.
Though the picture book format draws a younger audience, the text is quite complex and filled with facts for children below age 7. However as a teaching tool, this book is as good as they come, for it is not only an engaging story that is visually effective, but it is thorough and historically accurate.
In the start of the book, Giovanni spends a good amount of time introducing the readers to Rosa Parks' personal life, where she worked, who her husband and mother were, and why she sat where she sat on the bus that day, information that is usually omitted from accounts of this historic event that are intended for children. After Rosa Parks is arrested for not complying to the white bus driver's unreasonable request, the story takes a turn and becomes a lesson in civil rights, involving three other notable figures in the movement, and never returning to the intimate look inside Rosa's life. It was necessary to explain why her action was so monumental and what it caused, however, I do wish the author had given us just one more page about Rosa as a conclusion, staying true to the close narrative she hooked us in with at the beginning of the book.
Though the picture book format draws a younger audience, the text is quite complex and filled with facts for children below age 7. However as a teaching tool, this book is as good as they come, for it is not only an engaging story that is visually effective, but it is thorough and historically accurate.
May 16, 2020
I read this book aloud to my students today. Powerful stuff. A book really can be a weapon, a tool, or an entire education. This one is all three.
We were out of school yesterday for MLK Day, but we began studying Civil Rights early last week. You would be amazed at the depth of conversations second grade students can have about injustice, race, and segregation. After all the indignation and frustration my students felt when learning about segregation, this book was perfect. They were able to begin to close the circle; to see that you don't have to put up with mistreatment, and that there are better ways of fighting than with your fists. This is a beautiful picture of courage and dignity and of sacrificing for what you believe in.
My students really grabbed on to the idea of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and of using money to get your message across. It's just amazing what children can handle if it is shared in an honest, simple manner. This book is a perfect tool for that.
We were out of school yesterday for MLK Day, but we began studying Civil Rights early last week. You would be amazed at the depth of conversations second grade students can have about injustice, race, and segregation. After all the indignation and frustration my students felt when learning about segregation, this book was perfect. They were able to begin to close the circle; to see that you don't have to put up with mistreatment, and that there are better ways of fighting than with your fists. This is a beautiful picture of courage and dignity and of sacrificing for what you believe in.
My students really grabbed on to the idea of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and of using money to get your message across. It's just amazing what children can handle if it is shared in an honest, simple manner. This book is a perfect tool for that.
November 21, 2017
Very informative. I have heard and read stories about Rosa Parks, however this book took me a little deeper. I have a few elementary schoolers 2-4 grades and I read it to them. Books about black history really stirs their minds and they get upset about how black people were treated (even though it still is prevalent today to one extinct to another). For me books about history from the past holds my interest because to know about the past, helps you to understand the present and to some degree, the future.
October 2, 2009
Summary/Thoughtful Reflection:
Rosa, written for upper elementary (and higher) readers, tells the story of Rosa Parks and her historic bus ride. However, in this particular text, we truly MEET Rosa: a talented seamstress (heading home after a long day of sewing dresses), a wife (heading home planning to make a meatloaf dinner for her husband), a member of the Women's Political Council ("tired of 'separate' and definitely tired of 'not equal'"). Often in our history books and/or biographical texts of Rosa Parks, we read the facts of the bus ride; the events leading up to it, as well as what followed, are usually left out. Here we meet the TRUE Rosa, as well as the community of people who felt the same way. She was one woman who started a movement for change. By ripping textured and patterned paper and combining it with sketches and painting, Bryan Collier creates a collage of illustrations that depicts Rosa's experience in a sense of painful hopefulness. Readers do not sense fear or anger, just a confident determination for change.
Rosa, written for upper elementary (and higher) readers, tells the story of Rosa Parks and her historic bus ride. However, in this particular text, we truly MEET Rosa: a talented seamstress (heading home after a long day of sewing dresses), a wife (heading home planning to make a meatloaf dinner for her husband), a member of the Women's Political Council ("tired of 'separate' and definitely tired of 'not equal'"). Often in our history books and/or biographical texts of Rosa Parks, we read the facts of the bus ride; the events leading up to it, as well as what followed, are usually left out. Here we meet the TRUE Rosa, as well as the community of people who felt the same way. She was one woman who started a movement for change. By ripping textured and patterned paper and combining it with sketches and painting, Bryan Collier creates a collage of illustrations that depicts Rosa's experience in a sense of painful hopefulness. Readers do not sense fear or anger, just a confident determination for change.
July 14, 2016
Un libro genial para conocer en forma corta y entretenida la historia de una mujer maravillosa: Rosa Parks; y como su acto de valentÃa generó un movimiento para la lucha de los derechos de igualdad entre blancos y negros. Es increÃble saber que hace no mucho no se les permitÃa sentarse en el mismo lugar de un autobús, no podÃan ir a los mismos baños, todo se dividÃa en cosas para negros y blancos. Si un hombre blanco venÃa por la acera el negro debÃa quitarse y darle el paso, es un libro dirigido para niños de una forma increÃble, ya que logra atrapar en las pocas páginas y sin lugar a dudas hará que se sientan más interesados en las biografÃas de grandes personajes sin aburrirse. Pero considero que todos pueden leerlo porque es importante conocer sobre esto, yo lo disfruté muchÃsimo y en pocas páginas casi me hace llorar de emoción.
March 29, 2017
Text: 5 stars
Illustrations: 5 stars
Picture book biography of Rosa Parks. Well-written but where the text really distinguishes itself is in the broader context it offers. So many children's books on this subject limit themselves to the events on the bus, and immediately before and after the actual incident. But this book delves into Rosa Parks's personal life as well as the wider events of the world at the time and the civil rights movement. It also goes into the Montgomery bus boycott and the long-term effects of Rosa Parks's conviction and determination. Bryan Collier's collage-style art is stupendous.
Illustrations: 5 stars
Picture book biography of Rosa Parks. Well-written but where the text really distinguishes itself is in the broader context it offers. So many children's books on this subject limit themselves to the events on the bus, and immediately before and after the actual incident. But this book delves into Rosa Parks's personal life as well as the wider events of the world at the time and the civil rights movement. It also goes into the Montgomery bus boycott and the long-term effects of Rosa Parks's conviction and determination. Bryan Collier's collage-style art is stupendous.
February 28, 2018
I enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book!
February 20, 2019
This is perfectly done. Suitable for kids 1st grade on up. Maybe younger.
January 19, 2020
This illustrated book focuses primarily on the brave Rosa Parks, a black woman who fought to sit in a whites only section of a public bus. Not only does this book tell the story of Rosa, but it also illustrates the fact that Rosa was compelled to action not only because all the nasty events that she had to face every day, but by the beating of young adult Emmett Till, a black man who was beaten beyond recognition by two white men who got away with murder.
The illustrations are lovely and contain images of Rosa, as well as a collage of what was happening during the time of Civil Rights.
The illustrations are lovely and contain images of Rosa, as well as a collage of what was happening during the time of Civil Rights.
January 12, 2022
Keep sharing history. Love reading about Rosa Parks.
October 22, 2017
Rosa By Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Group: 3rd-5th grade
This story is about the story of Rosa Parks. The story introduces her as a famous seamstress in her town. One day she leaves work early and takes the bus home. When she got on the bus she realizes the colored section is filled and so she sits in the neutral section. While she is daydreaming about cooking the bus driver yells at her and others to move. Everyone moves except Rosa Parks. She sits there and the bus driver threatens to call the police. The police then arrives and asks her to move and she yet still refuses. She is arrested for not moving. The African Americans in her area hears about the arrest and then the community is angry because of the "Separate but Equal" law and the inequality between the separate races. Martin Luther King Jr. then made a statement that African Americans should boycott the bus. Everyone began walking everywhere and people would donate shoes to each other to support the walk. Afterward there was a law placed saying buses should not be segregated anymore.
I thought the book could have been shorter and did not really like the diction the author used. But I enjoyed the connections between Rosa Park's small act of defiance and how it led to something bigger. The book made it seem like she created a movement. I don't think in reality she was the start of the bus boycott but I do like the idea that a small change can create a large movement.
I also enjoyed to pictures because I think Collier used collage based illustrations and I thought it made the texture of the characters stand out. I do not think the story portrays any stereotypes but I wished when illustrating the boycott Collier also included white people because it was not only African Americans who protested.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Group: 3rd-5th grade
This story is about the story of Rosa Parks. The story introduces her as a famous seamstress in her town. One day she leaves work early and takes the bus home. When she got on the bus she realizes the colored section is filled and so she sits in the neutral section. While she is daydreaming about cooking the bus driver yells at her and others to move. Everyone moves except Rosa Parks. She sits there and the bus driver threatens to call the police. The police then arrives and asks her to move and she yet still refuses. She is arrested for not moving. The African Americans in her area hears about the arrest and then the community is angry because of the "Separate but Equal" law and the inequality between the separate races. Martin Luther King Jr. then made a statement that African Americans should boycott the bus. Everyone began walking everywhere and people would donate shoes to each other to support the walk. Afterward there was a law placed saying buses should not be segregated anymore.
I thought the book could have been shorter and did not really like the diction the author used. But I enjoyed the connections between Rosa Park's small act of defiance and how it led to something bigger. The book made it seem like she created a movement. I don't think in reality she was the start of the bus boycott but I do like the idea that a small change can create a large movement.
I also enjoyed to pictures because I think Collier used collage based illustrations and I thought it made the texture of the characters stand out. I do not think the story portrays any stereotypes but I wished when illustrating the boycott Collier also included white people because it was not only African Americans who protested.
June 2, 2012
A look at Rosa Parks and the courageous stand she made that triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott that hoped to put an end to segregation laws. I learned a lot from this book! For instance, Rosa was seated in the neutral area of the bus when she was asked to give up her seat. Whites and blacks could both sit in the neutral area so she held her ground because she was doing nothing wrong.
The illustrations are a mix of paintings and cut paper collage. The overall effect is stunning, especially the foldout showcasing the people walking during the bus boycott. The cut paper collage pieces give the artwork a sense of sense of texture and movement. The way certain pictures are framed and the angles/views it provides the reader give the feeling of being in the story.
This is a great introduction for children to Rosa Parks. The only thing I found myself wanting was a list of further reading, but maybe that's because I've been spoiled by the abundance of them in other books that I've come to expect them in every nonfiction picture book.
The illustrations are a mix of paintings and cut paper collage. The overall effect is stunning, especially the foldout showcasing the people walking during the bus boycott. The cut paper collage pieces give the artwork a sense of sense of texture and movement. The way certain pictures are framed and the angles/views it provides the reader give the feeling of being in the story.
This is a great introduction for children to Rosa Parks. The only thing I found myself wanting was a list of further reading, but maybe that's because I've been spoiled by the abundance of them in other books that I've come to expect them in every nonfiction picture book.
April 24, 2017
“She sighed as she realized she was tired. Not tired from work but tired of putting white people first.�
I think that these lines capture the essence of Nikki Giovanni’s picture book about Rosa Parks. Rosa is listed on Booklist Online as the winner of the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators. This picture book celebrates one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights Movement. The book portrays Rosa’s personal life as a woman and captures her political role as the civil rights icon. The book’s water color and collage illustrations are quite spectacular contributing to and extending the moving interpretation of dramatic historical events. I would recommend Rosa for intermediate grades as part of a unit on African American history and the Civil Rights Movement. The book could be implemented to discuss themes of segregation, activism, and courage.
I think that these lines capture the essence of Nikki Giovanni’s picture book about Rosa Parks. Rosa is listed on Booklist Online as the winner of the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators. This picture book celebrates one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights Movement. The book portrays Rosa’s personal life as a woman and captures her political role as the civil rights icon. The book’s water color and collage illustrations are quite spectacular contributing to and extending the moving interpretation of dramatic historical events. I would recommend Rosa for intermediate grades as part of a unit on African American history and the Civil Rights Movement. The book could be implemented to discuss themes of segregation, activism, and courage.
June 8, 2015
This is a spectacular picture book to share with children in grades 3-5 during a unit on Civil Rights. This is an account of Rosa Parks story and begins with her monumental action of refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The book then continues to beautifully illustrate and narrate all o the events that followed her action. The images seem to be composed of paper rather than pencil and paper drawings or paintings. In my opinion, they would draw the reader in and place them inside the story and the time period. It also gives a unique perspective into the events and life of Rosa Parks, however I would share numerous books on this subject to give all the perspectives of the events.
January 9, 2021
Beautiful.
I did not realize that it took almost a year of protests, by thousands of other citizens of Montgomery, for Mrs. Parks' 'no' to get the Supreme Court to say that segregation is wrong, not just in schools but on buses, too.
Giovanni portrays Mrs. Parks as a seamstress tired of discrimination, unlike the housekeeper tired of work that I grew up thinking of her. The author also portrays her as new to civic disobedience, but I thought that I had learned that she had been advised ahead of time to be on the lookout for this kind of opportunity.
No notes, bibliography, or other extra matter.
I did not realize that it took almost a year of protests, by thousands of other citizens of Montgomery, for Mrs. Parks' 'no' to get the Supreme Court to say that segregation is wrong, not just in schools but on buses, too.
Giovanni portrays Mrs. Parks as a seamstress tired of discrimination, unlike the housekeeper tired of work that I grew up thinking of her. The author also portrays her as new to civic disobedience, but I thought that I had learned that she had been advised ahead of time to be on the lookout for this kind of opportunity.
No notes, bibliography, or other extra matter.
July 26, 2017
I really enjoyed this Coretta Scott King award winning book. I feel like a learned a lot just from reading this picture book as well. I also felt very inspired after reading. The illustrations really stand out to me because I feel like they tell a story without having to read the words first. I found this book to be very intriguing because of the inspiring life that Rosa led. In the future, I would defiantly use this book for historical purposes, in order to capture students� attention on an important time in our history
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