Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds

Blog Post 4
Book: Back of the Bus By Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Publisher: Philomel Books a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

ISBN: 978-0-399-25091-0

            Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds is a powerful story about Rosa Parks’ famous bus ride.  The story is narrated through a little boy’s viewpoint who is sitting in the back of the bus.  The story starts off on December 1, 1944 in Montgomery, Alabama.  A mother and child are coming home from work and school on the same bus as Mrs. Parks.  The little boy’s mother is tired from working all day and the child is playing with his marble.  The little boy accidentally rolls the marble down the grove in center aisle of the bus; luckily Mrs. Parks catches it and rolls it back to him the same way since she is sitting in the front.  The boy knows that she’s not supposed to sit up there; she belongs in the back with us.  The boy knows that the bus is supposed to be divided but isn’t sure why.  His mother warns him not to play with the marble any more because the bus is getting crowded.  Suddenly, the bus comes to a complete stop and a commotion starts up front.  His mother tells him to put the marble away deep in his pocket so that he doesn’t lose it.  The little boy cannot tell what is happening in the front of the bus but he eventually sees Mrs. Parks being asked by the bus driver to move so that a white man can take her seat.  Her constant refusal to move forces the driver to call the police.  She is subsequently arrested.  During this time the little boy is confused and wonders why she won’t move and why the policeman “clicks them metal things on her hands, quick and loud like the screen door slammin’.”  Once the bus returns to service, his mother is upset and proud as she watches Mrs. Parks being taken away in handcuffs and is happy that the incident will be forgotten by tomorrow.  The little boy takes his marble out from the safety of his pocket and looks at it; instead of holding it tightly in his hand he holds it up to the light.  Looking at the sunset through the marble, the marble looks “like it’s smilin’, I think.  Cuz it ain’t gotta hide no more.” 

            This is a great book because it’s being told from a child’s point of view.  Since the boy isn’t sure why certain events are happening, it leaves a bit of mystery especially if the class has not learned about the civil rights era.  The lack of knowledge or clarity leaves the reader to fill in the blanks with facts and not assumptions or opinions. 

            The marble is a clever yet subtle analogy that plays along side with the plot.  While reading the story, I was very unsure as to how the marble fit in with the rest of the story and it’s relevance.  But by the end it was clear to me as why the marble was the main focus throughout the plot.  It wasn’t the marble itself that was important but the child’s interactions with the marble is significant.  At first we see him playing with it freely, admiring it and describing it “…my marble, all shining bright like a big ol’ tiger’s eye,”.  As the story progresses and Mrs. Parks starts to cause controversy, the boy, like many similar events throughout history, were shut out and if he didn’t hide his marble it would be lost forever.  In other words, the marble represented African Americans during this time.  They were ‘put away’, not to be seen by anyone.  This also applies the segregation to other public places like the bus, restaurants, rest rooms and schools.  African Americans were forced to comply with these rules/laws.  The little boy couldn’t take his marble out in fear it would be lost and could only be taken out when it was safe or after a drastic event happened. Once Mrs. Parks left the bus, the boy didn’t hold his marble tight in his hand, instead he held it up proudly now that the danger was over and there was nothing to fear. After something distressing happens, only then freedom can be gained hence, the marble was able to come out of his pocket.

One aspect that I liked throughout the story was the language.  The author stuck to a southern accent or drawl.  It made you feel like the child was talking to you and you could clearly hear his voice as he describe the events that were occurring.  The story stayed true to its roots and time period. 

            This book has a powerful message yet sent through a small object, the marble.  The message can be applied to other situations, not just from a civil rights viewpoint.  The innocence of the boy is another key role within the story line.  His lack of knowledge and innocence keeps the reader engaged.  Even though the reader and/or audience may know the whole or true story about what is occurring.  I think it tells Rosa Parks story in a new light and makes the topic easier and less ‘scary’ to talk about.  It also makes you wonder about the children who are living during this period.  What they think about segregation, are they even aware of what is happening and how will it affect them?  Children being divided and judged based on their skin color is their norm and they don’t even know about the racial dilemma directed towards them.  It’s disheartening to see a young boy witness a negative yet heroic action.  He may not realize it now but later on in life this event may have a greater impact on him both positively and negatively.

            The illustrations were well drawn and realistic throughout the story.  The picture to text illustrations matched perfectly.  You could almost look at the pictures and follow the story without any words.  Each illustration paints an important part of history.  One illustration that was done well was of the entire bus.  It depicts the segregation not only through text but from a visual stance too.  The picture shows the front of the bus with all of the white passengers sitting comfortably with Rosa Parks among them.  And the back of the bus where all of the blacks were cramped together with a few being forced to stand up due to lack of seating.

I apologize I couldn't scan the entire picture like I wanted to but I still wanted to show the illustrators detail and accuracy of the pictures.

           Lastly, there is a grain or chalky look on all of the illustrations.  I think it’s a cool effect to the story; it gives it a soft, worn textured look but still holds great detail in every picture.  The illustrator knows how to highlight and accent the main characters and make the background characters subdued still detailed.

Overall, this book is well put together and addresses many tough issues we face today.  This is a powerful tool to send a vital message when used in the classroom.  I’d recommend it to any teacher.  It is by far my favorite book that I have blogged about.