Back of the Bus [Hardcover]

Aaron Reynolds (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 7, 2010 | Age Range: 6 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 720L (What's this?)

It seems like any other winter day in Montgomery, Alabama. Mama and child are riding where they?re supposed to?way in the back of the bus. The boy passes the time by watching his marble roll up and down the aisle with the motion of the bus, until from way up front a big commotion breaks out. He can?t see what?s going on, but he can see the policeman arrive outside and he can see Mama?s chin grow strong. ?There you go, Rosa Parks,? she says, ?stirrin? up a nest of hornets. Tomorrow all this?ll be forgot.? But they both know differently.

With childlike words and powerful illustrations, Aaron Reynolds and Coretta Scott King medalist Floyd Cooper recount Rosa Parks? act of defiance through the eyes of a child?who will never forget.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rosa Parks’ defiant December 1955 confrontation on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, is told from the fictionalized viewpoint of a child who is there. In free verse, he describes riding the bus with his mama (“We’re sittin’ right there where we’re supposed to— / way in back”) and rolling a marble down the aisle to the front, where smiling Mrs. Parks rolls it back to him. Then, as people pile on the bus, the driver tells Parks to move to the back. She refuses, and the driver calls the police. The boy “knows . . . she don’t belong up front like that, but then he realizes “maybe she does too.” The child’s innocent viewpoint personalizes the well-known historical event, while Cooper’s oil paintings, expertly rendered in his signature “subtractive” style, show the crowded bus as well as stunning portraits of Parks, the driver, the boy, and his mother as they decide that they are “not gonna hide no more.” Grades 1-3. --Hazel Rochman

Review

"The language is rhythmic...the pictures glow with burnished grace." --Kirkus

"A noteworthy reflection on the actions of a single individual in turning the tide of segregation." --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (January 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399250913
• ISBN-13: 978-0399250910
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Aaron Reynolds is a children's ministry consultant, speaker, and workshop teacher whose mission is to equip teachers and churches to use the creative arts. He previously served as artistic director of Promiseland, the children's ministry of Willow Creek. He has written and produced over 300 creative scripts and lessons for kids and is the author of several children's books, including The Tale of the Poisonous Yuck Bugs, The Nineteenth of Maquerk, Breaking Out of the Bungle Bird, Chicks and Salsa, and the Tiger Moth series. He lives in the Chicago area with his wonderful wife, two great kids, and four neurotic cats.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This back of the bus view of Rosa Parks was very stunning, poetic and impressive! April 3, 2010

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

A young boy and his Mama were on a yellow and white bus with green trim around the windows. He bright eyes shown as he looked out the bus window and thought to himself that they were "sittin' right where we're supposed to--way in back." It was a warm December day in Montgomery, Alabama and the window was down. He began to play with his big brown tiger eye marble and as the bus lurched and slowed the marble raced down the aisle to the front where Mrs. Parks was sitting. She worked at the tailor shop and she just smiled and sent the marble back to him. His Mama scolded him with those "worked-all-day eyes" and he put the marble up . . . for just a bit.

People began to crowd the bus and he could hear Mr. Blake, the bus driver, say, "Y'all gotta move, now." He had a "growly ol' voice," enough to make anyone move, except someone wasn't planning on it. The yellow and white bus with the green trim around the windows stood still and the boy asked his Mama why they weren't moving. "Hush, child." He took out his marble again, but got another scolding from his Mama's "crinkled-up somethin's-wrong voice." There was something else wrong on the bus because there were people with angry scowling faces. Mr. Blake was going to call for the police. He then saw who was making those people angry. What was going to happen to Mrs. Parks? Were they going to be in trouble too?

This back of the bus view of Rosa Parks was very stunning, poetic and impressive. I loved the lyrical lilt of the tale and the unusual view of an historical event from the eyes of a child made this into a poignant one. The art work had a nostalgic, postcard grainy look that seemed to capture that moment in time. The surprise little fictional twist at the end was impressive and the child's thoughts were no less than omniscient and prophetic. Rosa Parks, her pride and determination came through loud and clear in this book. This pensive book would be an excellent read and discuss book in the homeschool or classroom setting!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book January 7, 2013

By clap

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I like the story and think its a great way to get young kids talking about race and the issues of racism and segregation that have plagued our country since its very beginning.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another view of the Rosa Parks story, for young readers February 1, 2011

By M. Tanenbaum VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

What is more iconic to the Civil Rights movement than the story of Rosa Parks? Author Aaron Reynolds, better known for his humorous picture books and graphic novels, takes a more serious turn as he retells the story of Rosa Park's famous bus ride from the perspective of a young boy who happens to be riding the same bus that December day in Montgomery along with his mama. As the story opens, the boy tells us, "We're sittin' right where we're supposed to--way in back." He's playing with his tiger's eye marble, letting it roll down the bus straight to Mrs. Parks from the tailor shop, who good-naturedly sends it right on back to him.

But when people pile on the bus, "all crammed in like lima beans," the driver, Mr. Blake, tells the African-American riders to move to the back of the bus. The boy can't understand why the bus is sitting there stopped, but Mama's got her "crinkled-up somethin's wrong voice," and he wants to know if they've done something wrong. He finally realizes it's Mrs. Parks who's still sitting up front in the bus, like she belongs there. Soon the policeman comes, taking Mrs. Parks away in handcuffs, as Mama watches with "the long tired eyes." While his mama says tomorrow "all this'll be forgot," the young boy somehow knows it won't be, and feels "a little strong, Like Mama's chin."

This is a sensitively done take on a familiar incident from history, told from a child's point of view, in a way that makes the subject matter accessible for children to learn from and discuss. It would be an excellent title for people of all races to check out of the library or purchase to share with their children in order to commemorate not only Mrs. Parks, but the other brave men and women who fought beside her in the Civil Rights movement. It's also a natural for classroom use, with handsome illustrations by award-winning artist Floyd Cooper that enhance the dramatic elements of the story. Cooper uses a subdued palette dominated by earth tones, against which stands out the bright yellow of the public bus. Cooper uses a realistic style with a painterly look, created by a technique called oil wash on board. According to his on-line biography, he creates a unique look by painting an illustration board with oil paint, then erasing part of the paint with a stretchy eraser.