If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold tells the story of a young girl named Marcie who climbs aboard a magical, talking bus. Marcie learns that one of the seats is reserved for a special passenger named Rosa Parks and while they are waiting for her to board, the bus teaches Marcie about Rosa Park's life, her achievements, and her contribution to the black civil rights movement. At the end of the ride Marcie meets Rosa Parks herself and realizes that the other passengers on the bus are also prominent heroes for civil rights, such as Martin Luther King, Jr and Raymond Parks. The story ends with Marcie being dropped off at her school prepared to share all she has learned with her friends.
This was a cute story with lots of information. My kindergartener did find it interesting, although I glossed over a few parts of it. I imagine it would probably be best suited for slightly older kids although he still learned quite a bit. The book briefly mentions the Ku Klux Klan and some of the violent acts that were perpetrated against blacks (lynching, burning homes, etc) so it may be a bit frightening for some younger, more sensitive children. Afterward, my son and I discussed how it would have felt to grow up in a world where your rights are not respected. We talked about how much courage Rosa Parks had to do what she believed was right even though she knew it could be dangerous for her. And of course we talked about how even though we have made much progress because of people like Rosa Parks, that people are still discriminated against today because of the color of their skin and that we still need people who are brave enough to stand against it.
