Rosa

Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA -- School Library Journal, 5/13/2008

Rosa. video or DVD. 14 min. (closed captioned). with tchr’s. guide. Weston Woods. 2007. video, ISBN 978-0-545-042581: $60; DVD, ISBN 978-0-545-04257-4: $59.95; cassette with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-54504262-8: $24.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-04261-1: $29.95.

Gr 2-5–Rosa Parks was a powerful figure in the Civil Rights Movement, and her legacy lives on in this beautiful picture book by Nikki Giovanni (Holt, 2005). The crisp text is read by the author with warmth and clarity. Bryan Collier’s collage illustrations are scanned iconographically, as well as a few of his illustrations from Doreen Rappaport’s Martin’s Big Words (Jump at the Sun, 2001; Weston Woods) and some archival photographs. This film brings history to life, adding homey details that personalize Parks and add immediacy to her story. Rich background music completes the presentation. This extraordinary book receives excellent treatment here, bringing Giovanni’s clear and expressive prose to life and allowing young viewers to wrap themselves in the warmth of her story. Teachers will welcome this Caldecott Honor Book and 2008 ALSC Notable Video not just for Black History Month and Martin Luther King Day, but all year.