by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
I am Rosa Parks (Amazon / Library) tells the story of this iconic civil rights hero, starting with her childhood and the injustices she experienced, through to her adult work with the NAACP and the events that led up to her protest on that December day in Montgomery.
Brat Meltzer takes a difficult story about racism and discrimination and deftly simplifies it for children without losing any of the important parts of the story. Throughout the book, he uses the actual dialog from Rosa Parks and others, strengthening the connection between the reader and the event so many years ago, and making it easier for children today to envision themselves taking a stand against injustice
The artwork from Christopher Eliopoulos is colorful and inviting, subtly revealing details about the story on each page, enhancing the story. Rosa Parks is depicted as a kind of adult-child, smaller and more childlike than the other adults, giving the effect of placing the child reader in the scene. I was worried when I first saw the cover that the story would be made into a overly simplistic and cute-but-shallow tale, but I was quickly reassured of its remarkable depth in the first pages, showing Rosa's brave interaction with an angry mother of a white bully Rosa stood up to.
I am Rosa Parks (Amazon / Library) earns the Self-Rescuing Princess Society seal of approval for its delightfully empowering telling of her story of courageous resistance in the face of discrimination and oppression, and her determination to take a stand against it.
It is an excellent book for early readers, or for story time with an adult. The illustrations are engaging and easily convey the message of the story, complementing the text. The story addresses feelings of fairness and justice in way that younger children can still related to and process.
[Note: I have included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. I am exploring options for increasing my income from this blog to help me to continue to bring you the important stories of kickass women and girls. While I will always work to tell these stories, I have bills to pay. By all means feel free to look for these books elsewhere if you prefer. If you want to help support the work I do here, please consider using these links to shop.]
I can't do the work of SRPS without your your support!
If you like what you read, please share this post with your friends.
If you like what you read, please share this post with your friends.
0 comments :
Post a Comment