Amy,
After just taking a picture walk and reading the author's and illustrator's note, I am intrigued about what this book has to offer. In the pages before the title page there is a black and white picture of some men and women on a bus. One man is holding a newspaper with a headline reading, "The Life of Emmett Till". I couldn't remember the story of Emmett Till, but the name sounded familiar, so (as always) I googled it. I found out that Till was a fourteen year old boy brutally murdered by two white men as punishment for whistling at a white married woman. The men were acquitted, but later admitted their guilt. This case was reopened in 2004, the same year Rosa was published.
On the following page there is a note from the author and illustrator. The author, Giovanni, writes, " Rosa Parks is a cooling breeze on a sweltering day, a sun-dried quilt in fall, the enchantment of snowflakes extending from the horizon, the promise of renewal at spring." The illustrator, Collier, explains how he used a darkish yellow hue in many of his paintings so that the reader could feel the heat of Alabama, and also the heat of an uneasy quiet before the storm. Through their words it's obvious that both Giovanni and Collier are invested in this character and her acts of bravery and honor.
As I took a picture walk through this book I noticed the yellow hue that Collier wrote about. The yellow clouds in the sky give you that feeling of a calm, humid, slow Southern day. They also create a haunting, almost eerie feeling in the air. I also noticed the glow that seems to come from Rosa's face; this point was also discussed in the illustrator's note. She has a calm, gentle look on her face throughout the beginning of the story. I love how the illustrator drew the faces of the characters so that it looked like you were standing only inches away from them. It helps the reader to feel involved and part of the story itself. You can see the determination of a glare or the clenching of hands around a piece of cloth. I also loved the use of collage throughout the illustrations. It looks like Collier cut out pieces of photos (perhaps from that time period) and placed them throughout the paintings in the book. This gives the pages a sense of real life texture, which I also think helps the reader to feel closer to the story and setting.
I have not even begun to read this book yet, but I already feel invested in the characters and message of the story.
3 comments:
Hi Amy,
I found this book very powerful. I think the words gave justice to the strength of Rosa Parks, while also serving as an informational source. There were some parts of this story that taught me a few new pieces of information about Rosa Parks that I had never learned. I know that my students are familiar with the story of Rosa Parks, but if they have never read this book there may be some things that they also did not know. One misconception that I've had, and I think most of my students have had as well, was that Rosa Parks did not get up from her seat because she had a long day at work and she was tired. She was tired from working a long day and it didn't make sense to her that she had to give up her seat when she rightfully deserved the seat herself. I like how the author made it a point to say, "She sighed as she realized she was tired. Not tired from work but tired of putting white people first. Tired of stepping off sidewalks to let white people pass, tired of eating at separate lunch counters and learning at separate schools." I think that this is an important point for the author to make. Rosa's action was not the result of a long hard day, it was the result of a long hard history of inequality.
Another piece of new information for me, was the role that women played in organizing the bus boycott. I had never heard of Dr. Jo Ann Robinson and the gathering of twenty five women that came together to pray, make signs, organize a boycott and support the message of Rosa Parks. I previously thought that Martin Luther King had organized the boycott on his own; I did not know that he was called upon from a group of women to act as their "voice". I think this piece of the story helps the reader to see the strength in the African American women of the Civil Rights Movement.
As much as this story acts as teaching tool for historical milestones, it also serves as a teaching tool for reading strategies. The author seems to jump from scene to scene, which asks the readers to make inferences about the moments between those scenes. For instance, the author writes about how the women decide to meet at 10 pm at Alabama State. Then she goes on to write about tasks they carried out at the college: holding hands in prayer, making stencils for letters, "standing under the umbrella of courage Rosa Parks had offered". The reader must infer that they are coming together to organize their support for Rosa Parks and the boycott to stand behind her.
Meaghan,
As I began my picture walk, the first thing I noticed as well was the black and white two page image of the bus scene. The newspaper caught my attention right away! I was able to connect with the newspaper heading since I have read a book about murder and trial of Emmett Till for a former class. Mississippi Trial, 1955, by: Chris Crowe. This story dealt with the immediate events, murder and trial of Emmett Till. When I saw his name on the headline, I couldn’t help but think what an incredible and intense time this must have been in American History.
I liked how the illustrator explained his impressionalistic style however, did not read his comments until after I completed my picture walk. I absolutely connected to the illustrators foreshadowing the quiet before the storm and the darkness of the times. I did not however, pick up on the southern heat feel. As I was doing my picture walk, I noticed how most of the characters were wearing long sleeves. That gave me the impression that the weather was not very warm. Once I started reading the text, and learned that it was early December, I thought that even though it was in a warmer part of the country, it might still get cool.
I agree that the paintings had a very realistic feel to them. The double fold out page reminded me of silhouettes that you would see on a memorial. This is definitely appropriate since all of the people who participated in the Civil Rights Movement should be recognized. I also noticed on two specific paintings of Rosa, there seemed to be almost a gold halo around her head. The way the illustrator painted it, it looks almost like sticks of gold surrounding her head. This gave the impression that Rosa was perceived to be a saint in her own time.
The paintings were extremely detailed with a focus on faces and emotions. For a picture walk, I feel these visuals told the story and the book almost did not need words! I can’t wait to finish reading!
The simplicity of text in this story in correlation with the illustrations only magnified the essence of the story. While I still feel the pictures could tell the story on their own, the text was simplistic yet very rich in content and depth. I also learned something new about this historical event. When I was young, I remember learning that she was tired from a long day and did not want to move. I had no idea that there was a neutral territory on the bus. She had the right to be there! I would like to say that I wouldn’t have moved either. But given the situation, it was a very gutsy decision. I liked how the text described other people getting off the bus to avoid the impending situation. It gave the reader prospective of the other people involved in the situation. I also think that the events leading up to this part of the story added a softer dimension to Rosa. All she wanted to do was get home and make a wonderful dinner for her husband. Who knows how accurate this is but it did add to the tenderness that the author wanted the reader to feel for her.
I was also impressed by the additional people who assisted Rosa once she was arrested. I think the part about using the University supplies would also feed into the inferring questions. Asking the students why they think a woman who works there would have to sneak around her own office would spark interesting conversations.
The last page of text is very powerful. “The integrity, the dignity, the quiet strength of Rosa Parks turned her no into a yes for a change.” This dedication sums it all up. I think the last few words of the phrase can be applied to all of the major players who sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
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