Rosa

A graphic novel by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier as well as a Caldecott Honor Book award winner and a 2006 Coretta Scott King illustrator award winner. The story is about the day Rosa Parks stood up for her right not to be segregated on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The story begins with Rosa at her home with her family and sick mother. She goes to work as a seamstress fixing the clothes of the people of the city. Admired by her colleagues she would be teased on her strong sewing abilities. Rosa’s supervisor tells her to go home because she was ahead on her work and so she could take care of her ailing mother. Happily, she goes home and takes the bus. On the bus, all the seats are taken in the black section so she must sit in the neutral area. As the bus begins to fill up, the bus driver tells her to move or he will call the police. Rosa knows this is wrong and she stands her ground in solidarity with those who have and continue to fight for civil rights. She is arrested and the people of Montgomery and around the U.S. take notice. Protests in the form of marches and boycotts continue in support of Mrs. Parks. The story ends with the message that the constitution makes no provision for a second-class citizenry. It is a powerful message that will help students studying the Civil Rights movement. Likewise, the drawings are evocative of this era and the colors are ominous and powerful.

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. (B. Collier, Illust.) Henry Holt and Co. (BYR).