Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation (Hardcover)

by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: boycott blues, bony wings, Jim Crow

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 3–6—Color and movement are vibrant components in this extraordinary book about Rosa Parks's efforts to take down Jim Crow. Text and illustration work in perfect sync. Andrea Pinkney chose the rhythm of the blues as cadence for the guitar-strumming hound-dog narrator: "This story begins with shoes./This story is all for true./This story walks. And walks. And walks./To the blues." In riveting poetic style, the author relates how Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, AL, on December 1, 1955; her defiance brought about the boycott that changed this nation. The evocative text is bolstered by Brian Pinkney's perceptive vision: he portrays a swirling black mass, colored ink on clay board, to simulate a menacing bird—Jim Crow—that "pecks, pecks, pecks" its determination to undermine the movement. Jim Crow hovers menacingly over the bus and whirls above the beleaguered walkers, but the ever-present dog keeps belting out inspiring words, swinging his tune out over the people. Against electric blues and greens diffused with streaks of black line, Pinkney's artwork rivets the eye with the red of Parks's coat, the yellow of the city bus, and the sunrise red that signals the Supreme Court ruling to end segregation. Children unfamiliar with the historic events of the period will find the tale uplifting and memorable, and for librarians, teachers, and parents, this story will read aloud well, mesmerizing listeners.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
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From Booklist
*Starred Review* With glowing, dramatic double-page spreads and a clear rhythmic text, this large picture book tells the inspiring story of the Montgomery bus boycott. An adult who was there tells a child today how it was in language that has the beat of the blues—weary, sharp, and sweet. Dog tired, that’s me, says the narrator, who appears in most of the pictures as a dog strumming a guitar. Beginning with Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, the story moves on through history to Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiring speech calling for a boycott and the many people who join the movement and refuse to ride the buses. This is one of the few Rosa Parks stories to show how long it took to defeat Jim Crow, how exhausting it was for the nonviolent protestors to walk through rain and steaming heat for more than a year, and how determined they were. Jim Crow becomes a metaphorical bird that struts and pecks, though the statement that Jim Crow flew in in 1955 may confuse readers: as the final note shows, segregation was established long before that date. The moving poetry and the art, with thick, swirling ink lines on bright washes in red, blue, purple, and green, express the dramatic confrontations and the inspiring history. Great for reading aloud, especially to the strumming of a guitar. Preschool-Grade 3. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060821183
• ISBN-13: 978-0060821180
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Explanation of History, December 4, 2008

By	A. Turnmire - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This excellent book portrays history in a way that is understandable to children. The text is written in a blues style that adds interest (though it is hard to keep with the rhythm at times). The story begins with Rosa Parks riding the bus and not only explains the boycott but shows the sacrifice that was made by the people in order to find other means of transportation. In addition, Jim Crow is portrayed as a bird that keeps pecking at the people. This detail really makes the book enjoyable for children.

5.0 out of 5 stars Freedom Song, July 1, 2009

By	Catherine W. Hughes (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Stormy, windswept illustrations lead the reader through the over three hundred long day Montgomery Bus Boycott; the days of the blues. Rhythmic southern dialect leads the way for a freedom song. Starting with Rosa Parks' refusal to move to the back of the bus and ending with the Supreme Court decision to strike down Jim Crow, with days and days of walking in between, this story brings alive the struggle of the Bus Boycott. And on Day 382, African Americans walk to the front of the bus.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings history alive in a vibrant and lyrical way!, May 26, 2009

By	z hayes (plano,texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

The inspiring story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Riots is made accessible to younger children [ages 4-8] in this touching picture book illustrated in vibrant colors and with a lyrical, rhythmic prose. I liked the way the Jim Crow law of segregation is portrayed as a bird pecking away at the innocent, trying to uphold segregation but eventually being defeated by the power of people through boycott. Rosa Parks is compellingly portrayed as a humble seamstress who dares stand up for her civil rights, and Martin Luther King makes his appearance here, calling for a boycott on public transportation to get the laws to change. The lengthy time it took for the boycott to finally have its desired effect - all of 382 days is portrayed in a manner that makes it accessible to young children, despite the 'heavy' nature of the topic.The narrator is a dog strumming a guitar using a lyrical prose that is reminiscent of the blues-genre of music [I just wish there was an accompanying music sheet]. Highly recommended and a great read-aloud book.