Diversity Collection

Rosa

Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

               Rosa Parks’ day began looking better than the days before. Her mother was getting better from the flu and her husband had been asked to work as a barber at the Air Force Base. She was excused from work early as a reward for her hard work and dedication. She got onto the bus, paid her fee, got off and reentered through the back of the bus. Rosa then went on to sit in the middle section, as the section for African Americans was full. As she was daydreaming about the wonderful celebration supper she had planned, the driver was shouting at her to give up her seat or the police would be coming. Calmly she said to do as they must. While she waited she thought of all the brave people fighting for civil rights and began to feel tired of being separated and not being treated equal. She thought of her mother and grandmother and decided the moment had chosen her. She then told the police officer, “no” when he asked her to move. Her decision that day led a group of women to meet at Alabama State University to create flyers asking African Americans to stay off the buses in non-violent protest. The people went on to walk for nearly a year before the Supreme Court ruled segregation was wrong and illegal. The story begins with a bright opening with word choice that seizes the reader.  The allusions and quotes help the audience connect with Rosa and feel compassion for her situation that day on the bus. This is the perfect book for young readers to understand the difficulties African Americans and other minorities faced and still face today.

BIBLIO: 2005, Henry Holt and Company, Age 4 to 12, $16.95.

REVIEWER: Jennifer Debo

Format: Picture Book

ISBN:978-0-8050-7106-1

Visit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qt35EWfRpo for a read aloud of this story. You can see the wonderful illustrations and the colorful language Nikki uses to describe Rosa's day. 

I chose the book, Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni to share a story and struggle of Civil Rights. The author, Nikki Giovanni, grew up immersed in literature, her mom had a “wonderful library” and she said she always had the sniffles, so she got to stay home and read what she wanted. Nikki also was brought up with a variety of music, which she says inspires imagination. She grew up with her parents and sister, as well as her grandparents. She dropped out of high school, but was accepted to Fisk University as part of an Early Entrant Program that accepted students before they completed high school. At one point she was kicked out by the dean but did eventually graduate from this university, with honors. She was not one that would comply easily. Nikki has received many awards for her poetry telling the stories of race and other social issues in addition to children’s books. Nikki is currently a Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech. She always travels as a speaker against hate and violence.

Rosa, the story of Rosa Parks is a fantastic picture book to introduce the Civil Rights Movements to children. This is a great resource to bring discussions for standing up for what you believe in and what you feel is just. It’s beautifully written and illustrated and would make a great book to share during Black History Month. Overall, this book can fit many needs in the classroom.

Bibliography

Poetry collections

·        Black Feeling, Black Talk (1967)

·        Black Judgement (1968)

·        Re: Creation (1970)

·        Black Feeling, Black Talk/ Black Judgement (contains Black Feeling, Black Talk, and Black Judgement (1970)

·        My House (1972)

·        The Women and The Men (1975)

·        Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day (1978)

·        Woman (1978)

·        Those Who Ride The Night Winds (1983)

·        Knoxville, Tennessee (1994)

·        The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni (1996)

·        Love Poems (1997)

·        Blues: For All the Changes (1999)

·        Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems (2002)

·        The Prosaic Soul of Nikki Giovanni (2003)

·        The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1998 (2003)

·        Acolytes (2007)

·        Bicycles: Love Poems (2009) (William Morrow)

·        100 Best African American Poems (2010) [editor] (Sourcebooks MediaFusion)

·        Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid (2013) (HarperCollins)

Children's books

·        Spin a Soft Black Song (1971)

·        Ego-Tripping and Other Poems For Young People (1973)

·        Vacation Time: Poems for Children (1980)

·        Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People Revised Edition (1993)

·        The Genie in The Jar (1996)

·        The Sun Is So Quiet (1996)

·        The Girls in the Circle (Just for You!) (2004)

·        Rosa* (2005)

·        Poetry Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (2005) [advisory editor] (Sourcebooks)

·        Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship (2008)