Monday, April 7, 2008

Rosa

Rosa
Giovanni, Nikki
Collier, Bryan
Scholastic Inc. NY., NY 2007
Picture book Biography


Rosa is a snapshot in history of Rosa Park's life. The book takes place during the Civil Rights Movement when African American's were being discriminated against. Rosa was a wife and a mother who worked as a seamstress. She was very dedicated and skilled at her job. Rosa often spent long hours at her job, but on December 1 1955, Rosa's boss let her leave early because her mother was ill. Rosa paid her bus fare and entered the bus from the rear as usual. She took a seat in the neutral section on the bus where she was allowed to set only if there were no white people that needed a seat. Rosa was not seated long before a white man wanted her seat. Rosa refused to get up so the bus driver had her arrested. Many people were very angry that Rosa was arrested for sitting in a seat that should have been rightfully hers. Because of this injustice, many African Americans refused to take the bus until the unjust law was changed. The boycott lasted almost a year until the supreme court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. Rosa became a very famous member of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day admired by many.

The illustrations in this book by Bryan Collier were made from Watercolor and collage. Th Illustrator wrote that he used lots of yellows an dark hues to emphasize the hot temperatures in Alabama as well as to emphasize the fear and tension that was everywhere during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. The double page illustrations were outstanding and really did help me to understand the setting of this extremely moving book. I think that these illustrations are very important for readers to be able to understand how hard life was for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement because our society is so different now. Collier's illustrations do a wonderful job showing Rosa's grit and determination as well as the injustice she endured.

I think that this is an outstanding children's book. I feel that children need to know about the injustices of the past so that they will not be repeated in the future. Rosa Parks was strong and courageous woman and she is a great role model for young girls and all Americans. I think the author did a great job of explaining the significance of Rosa's actions so that children could understand. I would definitely read this book to my students to make them more aware of the struggles African Americans have faced in our countries history.

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