Rosa

     Rosa is a nonfiction picturebook that tells the story of Rosa Parks and her daring actions during the Civil Rights Movements to not move out of her seat on a bus for someone of another color. It accurately depicts the story for young readers, around 6 or 7 years old. Rosa was written by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier, and was published in 2005. This modern adaptation of the events that ultimately became an icon for an entire movement brings excitement to readers as they learn just how differently life was in 1955.
    I personally loved this book. When I first read the title from the list of books that had won awards in Appendix A from Literature and the Child, I was immediately drawn to it. The transition of American lifestyles from the 1950s and into the 1960s is my favorite time frame of all history, and Giovanni accurately retells the story of Rosa Parks' life and actions. Bryan Collier, the illustrator, has also "received a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bryan now lives in Harlem, New York" (Giovanni & Collier, 2005). I loved Rosa and couldn't wait to write about it!
     Nonfiction books should include text that clarify the event with accurate information and uses language that attracts readers. "In simple but elegantly subtle language, Giovanni tells Rosa's story, with allusions to other important civil rights events" (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, 2011). The illustrations sum up the story with a representational picture using eclectic design. Nonfiction books should also be accurate, using current and credible facts, and the subject should be one that the author is well-informed on. The organization of the book should flow well and logically, with appropriate mannerisms. Giovanni does a wonderful job and follows all of these requirements, writing very accurate descriptions and also lays out the story beginning on the morning she decided not to move on the bus, and proceeds until almost a year later. Time moves swiftly and effortlessly, making for a very logical layout. The writing style that Giovanni uses is interesting and shows her enthusiasm, all while using appropriate language and terminology that does not come across as disrespectful, in fact it is quite honorable! Perhaps that is why it won The Coretta Scott King Award for illustrator in 2006! 
     Picturebooks should use an array of elements that blend together to create the perfect illustrations, and Rosa certainly does just that. Continuing from the checklist about nonfiction books, illustrations should be appealing and appropriate, and enhance the text by adding details to faces. going back to page 62, we are given an explanation of art elements. he representational art styles accurately depict what Rosa Parks, her family, and the other characters in the story looked like, what they wore, and how they conducted themselves. The heavily shaded color adds plenty of darker colors to show how glum the times were. The geometrical shapes, like the rectangles that create a night's sky, draw attention to the pictures so that young children can look at all the different details and remain entertained as Rosa is being read to them. The soft textures lead me to believe that the illustrations are paint, because even when condensed and mass produced, the magnificent detail really brings the story to life, much like paint is known to do. With the accurate and appealing text combined with the detailed and intricate illustration, this book is jam packed with information that young readers will instantly be drawn to.
       Within my classroom, I would read this to students anytime of the year because Rosa Parks made such a huge impact for our society that she should always be celebrated. A great idea I have about this book would be to "Make A Change". I would ask students to write down or say aloud changes they want made within the school. We could then discuss how we could make these changes, and possibly make a difference for our community! I would think big: solar panel roof! "You can start a letter writing campaign to send to a message to your community's leaders or start an organization that helps increase awareness" (BrainPop, Jr., 2012). Another great exercise that my class could do after reading this story is to act out the scene of Rosa on the bus with students. This would allow young children to understand first hand how it felt for Rosa to make such a daring move. My reader resonse questions would be:

1. How do you think Rosa Parks felt when she refused to move from her seat on the bus?
2. What year did this event occur?
3. If you were her, would you have done the same thing? Why or why not?

References

    BrainPop, Jr. (2012, November). Brain Pop: Rosa Parks. Retrieved from http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/biographies/rosaparks/grownups.weml
    Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2011). Literature and the Child. (7th ed., pp. 24-260). Belmont: Wadsworth Pub Co.   
    Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. (1st ed.). New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR).