Module 12, Rosa

Cover

Rosa, By Nikki Giovanni, Illustrated by Brian Collier 

Overview: Rosa Parks is a average African American woman working in the 1950's as a seamstress. One day on her way home she is tired and encounters a situation on her bus ride and is faced with a difficult situation. She takes a stand for herself and others like her. The story does not stop here though as most familiar with her story do. This book continues and tells how Rosa was feeling and the impact that is had on her family and friends.

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Holtzbrink Publishers.

Little Library Review: This book is written about a common public figure Rosa Parks, however, it is written from a different perspective and connects with her background as common person and human. I like the way that the author shares stories of her experiences at home and with her husband to show that she was just an average person who made an extraordinary difference. The text is also written in a simple child friendly way so that children are able to understand the story and events of actions that day. The illustrations are full of rich color and make a powerful impact on the story's delivery. 

Other Professional Reviews: Gr 3-5-- An eloquent narrative and powerfully expressionistic art paint Rosa Parks with a heroic sheen. Cast as a capable, strong-minded woman who sat down that fateful day ready and able to face the consequences, Parks actually glows in the illustrations--fittingly, as her experience lit the way for those who organized the subsequent bus boycott and, like the marchers depicted on a culminating double foldout, were moved to so many further acts of courage.

Peters, J. (2006). Rosa. School Library Journal, 52(3), 88-89

Using it in the Library 📖: This book would be a good mentor text to use as a resource for research on individuals that have made an impact. The language is simple enough that readers will be able to get a lot of real and important information from the story.