Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Rosa Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed. Award-winning poet, writer, and activist Nikki Giovanni’s evocative text combines with Bryan Collier’s striking cut-paper images to retell the story of this historic event from a wholly unique and original perspective. Ages 4–8.
About The Author
Nikki Giovanni is the author of Lincoln and Douglass,Spin a Soft Black Song, The Sun Is So Quiet, and the Caldecott Honor Book Rosa. Her autobiography Gemini was a finalist for the National Book Award, and several of her books have received NAACP Image Awards. She was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and has been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry.
Read Aloud Tips
- Use the book as part of a larger unit, and describe the rules around bus riding during the civil rights movement.
- Explain the awards won by this book and why Rosa Park’s story is an important tale.
- Walk through the photos, asking students to describe what is happening and ask them what they think will happen next.