It’s Her Story: Rosa Parks

This graphic novel for young children explores the life and legacy of celebrated civil rights activist Rosa Parks. The opening pages depict a young black girl and her grandmother attending an exhibition about Rosa, where they learn about her early childhood, education, marriage and lifelong campaigning to challenge racial discrimination.

The book explains that Rosa tutored black people to pass difficult voter registration tests, helped with legal cases, and had links with other important members of the civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King and Septima Clark. However, it was her infamous refusal to give up her bus seat for a white person which brought her to public attention. This single, seemingly small, act, which broke the laws of segregation at the time, resulted in her arrest, a 13-month bus boycott by black passengers and an eventual change in the law.

Rosa’s story is brought to life for a young audience in this wonderfully accessible picture book, with comic-style illustrations. As well as learning about a key figure in American history, children will also understand the importance of being kind, fair and always standing up to injustice.