Rosa, written by Nikki Giovanni in 2005, won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustrations in 2006. Rosa is an excellent book to introduce students to segregation and how the fight to end it came about. It addresses diversity since the entire story revolves around a woman's fight to end the separation of blacks and whites.
The tone of the main character is set right from the beginning when the author explains that Rosa is a good citizen who cares for her mother and husband and is known as the best seamstress in Montgomery. Nikki then tells the story of how Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus along with a brief synopsis of the civil rights movement and ends with the Supreme Court's decision that segregation is illegal. The author explains this historical event very well and in easy-to-understand language suitable for younger students.
Thinking back, I don't remember reading about all of the details given in this story. I knew who Rosa Parks was and what she stood for, but this book explains the beginning of the end of segregation very well. I did not know that the walk went on for as long as it did. The author even introduces Martin Luther King, Jr., and the NAACP. This was a very interesting story that contained vivid, detailed illustrations.
No comments:
Post a Comment