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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.