# 22 Rosa

Rosa #22

Written by: Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by: Bryan Collier

Henry Holt and Company

2005

34 pages

Historical Fiction

            This book is about the stand that Rosa Parks took during the civil rights movement. She was sitting in a section on the bus that was a neutral section and the bus driver asked her rudely to move. She did not move from the seat. All of the “colored” people heard about the bus and started to rally together. Some girls meet at Alabama State that night to make poster. The poster encouraged people not to ride the bus but to walk. People from around the nation heard about this and started send walking shoes coats and money. They were proud of this nonviolent protest. Final on November 13, 1956, segregation was illegal. Rosa Parks made a enormous impact of the Civil Rights movement.

            Collier used acrylic paint to illustrate this story. The illustrator sad he did research before he drew the pictures by visiting Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. He noticed that Alabama has hot weather so he used warm colors. Collier draws attention to Rosa in the story by surrounding her with a glow of gold. The text is formally placed on the page. Collier’s illustrations also look like a collage. The pictures in this book are breath taking.

            This book would be appropriate for kindergarten and up. If this book was being read by the students it would be best for the higher elementary grades. This book has many possible classroom connections. You could teach your students about Rosa Parks as a person and what she stands for. The students could be educated about the Civil Right Movement. Another idea is to teach the students about protesting and standing up for what you believe. The students could learn about Dr. Martin Luther King.  Nikki Giovanni has received countless awards and honors from Women of the Year to having keys to difference cities. Nikki Giovanni is an Award-winning poet, writer, and activist.