This graphic novel has an important message and also tells a very real and brutal but also heartwarming story about change and race.

The illustrations are perfect. The story is one that will stay with you for a while.

Very beautiful story.

I LOVED this. So informative. I learned many things that I didn’t know, things that I somehow thought were truth were not, so very enlightening. This graphic novel is very well done, I recommend that everyone reads it.

A great short graphic novel introduction to a frequently unrecognized, unintentional, civil rights pioneer. Colvin was a teen girl who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. The basic outline is familiar to anyone in the US as the story of Rosa Parks but Claudette took her stand earlier and without an organization behind her. As time has passed one is able to take a more critical view at the behind the scenes workings of a movement that accomplished so much for good. Because of the views of those who were in power and how they perceived the viewpoint of the society they were trying to change, for better or worse, Colvin's story was pushed aside.

The story is told simply and clearly. This is not just a book with pictures; the art significantly adds to one's understanding of the story. The art alternates between sparse with some text to much more detailed city scenes. My only wish is there had been more detail in certain aspects of Colvin's story such as her pregnancy that caused so many issues for her and her family.

Overall a great introduction to Colvin and a tool for a better understanding of the complexities of any movement.

I loved this graphic novel. I liked the monochromatic color scheme (it helped to drive the nature of the story home). I learned a great deal about the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, specifically that this situation was more than Rosa Parks--and that she was chosen to be the face of this movement because her story was more attractive than that of Claudette Colvin.

Kudos to the author and the publisher for shedding light on this time period.

Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin
By Émilie Plateau
Europe Comics

Claudette Colvin is finally getting her day. Never heard of her? In 1955 in Montgomery AL, Colvin was arrested after she refused to give her seat to a white woman. Sound familiar? Colvin did this a few months before Rosa Parks’ historic actions, but through various circumstances found herself erased from history.

That’s all changed thanks to the efforts of Colvin and her family to get some credit, and that effort has been reflected by a number of books telling her story, including one upcoming graphic novel from First Second Books’ History Comics line. This ebook edition of the French graphic novel by French cartoonist Émilie Plateau, itself an adaptation of French journalist Tania de Montaigne’s book about Colvin.

This is a tidy adaptation that recounts the events clearly but begs the reader to put themselves in Colvin’s place, taking pains to shape the world she lived in thorough terms and help the reader transition there. This guidance to empathy seems designed especially for French readers who might not be as familiar with circumstances that are just an everyday part of American understanding, but it’s to the book’s advantage with American readers in setting a tone.



And the narrative coming from a French creator offers some aspects that might not be done by American creators, if only because we have an established tone in our presentation of race issues that this feels dissimilar to. For me, this slightly alien tone made this feel different from other civil rights books I have read, and that is accentuated by Plateau’s illustration. Presenting blocks of landscapes with tiny humans going through life’s actions in front of these blocks, Plateau softens some of the darkness with intricate charm, but also evokes the feeling that these are people whose personal lives have been seized by history and are now part of a dramatic tableau that is playing out as part of civilization’s story.

But Colvin is obviously at the center of this, and even as the action shifts to Rosa Parks, as it must, Plateau examines the male dominance that pushed her aside in her own story, as it did other women in the movement, and the moral judgement that could commandeer plain and simple truths about right and wrong. Despite it all, Colvin’s bravery and forthrightness shine through, and she seizes her story back from the world.

There are plenty of Colvin texts to choose from, but in offering something for people to whom this is the history of a foreign land, Plateau offers an outsider’s indignation and honesty to the recounting of events that stings and foists a certain shame on the reader. Even if it happened decades before you were born Plateau makes the indictment relevant and fresh. It’s the sort of presentation that challenges us to leave this story in the 1950s but act on it as if it happened the moment you read the book. That’s the kind of immediacy that’s required to move things forward.

I have to admit I had never had about Claudette Colvin before learning about this graphic novel and Tania de Montagne's book, "Noire". Not proud of it, however it comes to show one of the two biggest messages of this book: that behind every great name in History there are some many others that weren't on the right place at the right time or fit the profile necessary to be the face of that great event. It is not at all a criticism or a way of erasing Rosa Parks' importance and role on the Black movement towards securing their rights during that time, but an example of how History sometimes chooses its heroes and even a well meaning action or movement has politics to abide in order to follow its course. It is problematic, obviously, but the idea behind Colored I believe is not to judge but to acknowledge value where value is due. Claudette Colvin doesn't get the credit she deserves and we do not need to "discount" that credit from other names such as Rosa Parks or Dr. Martin Luther King.
The artwork is simple yet on point. Plus, a beautiful writing, Colored is a definite must-read.

This book was an eye opener for me. I knew of Rosa Parks of course but I had not heard of Claudette Colvin before reading this.

In 1955, she was arrested after she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This was a few months before Rosa Parks’ arrest.

Colvin pleaded not guilty and sued the state.

She later was one of the plaintiffs who testified in the federal court case to challenge bus segregation. But Colvin was a teenager and was perceived as unrespectable because she was pregnant. And so her part in the civil rights movement was kept quiet for a long time. Her family is still fighting for her recognition today.

I’m glad that this comic has highlighted her role in the civil rights movement and hopefully more people will recognize her bravery.

Before Rosa Parks, another young lady refused to give up her seat on a bus, was arrested, and helped spur the Montgomery bus boycott. Her name was largely lost to history, but Èmilie Plateau has done her part to keep her memory alive in Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin.



When she was only 15, Claudette got on her regular bus to go home from school. When she was asked to give up her seat for a white passenger, she refused. She was arrested, thrown in jail, and charged. Rosa Parks and other local leaders talked about a bus boycott, but they thought Claudette wasn't an appropriate public face of the boycott: immature and pregnant out of wedlock, they didn't want to invite additional criticism.



When Rosa Parks took her stand on the bus, she was 43, and as anyone who has heard her story knows, she was a saintly community leader, respected by both black and white citizens. So she became the face of the bus boycott. Claudette was forgotten.



Colored, simply illustrated and told, clearly reminds us of the deep sickness of segregation in the South. Even though it was just a generation or two in the past (Claudette and other figures in this story are still living), it seems like another world. Plateau reminds us of this history, while also pointing out the leading role that Claudette and other women had in the Civil Rights Movement. Leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., and others were certainly inspiring, but while the called for equal rights for blacks, they certainly did not consider equal rights for women.



Plateau does Claudette a great service by telling her story, and does the rest of us a great service by reminding us of these heroes who risked so much to work for equal rights.







Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

We all know the story of Rosa Parks and Marthin L. King. But, the fact most people don't know about is that, before Rosa Park, a young woman, age 15 refused to let the seat to a white man on the bus. I was really suprised because I never knew about this story and I was really shattered by it.

Colored render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and tells us the heart-wrenching, yet beautiful story of Claudette Colvin.
I fell in love with the drawings and the story telling and I'll gadly recommand it to my relatives because I think that it's really important.

Colored is so much more than just the story of Claudette Colvin. It's a story of strong women that History did not choose. I'm really suprised and amazed.

I appreciated the simplicity of this book, and enjoyed learning about Claudette Colvin and her story. I had never even heard of her before I read this, and after reading her story, I am glad someone is shining a spotlight on her and the part she played in history.

A very interesting and very easy read about a historical moment that happened in the past. I don't learn much about American history and I'm never really interested to find out about how dark and grimy it used to be, especially for the colored people. They don't deserve to be treated the way they did because everyone is human after all. Everyone is equal and it doesn't mean that the lighter you skin colour is, the mightier and a better person that you are. It really is an undesirable situation to live in back then and I'm glad to see progress with how things are doing now!

This book was powerful and the illustrations were really cute. It was so easy to read which made me breeze through even though the content was not the easiest.

Interesting topic with great layout. Easy and engaging read. Enjoyed. Review will be up on my bookedupgirl blog soon

A short graphic/comic book telling about the life of Claudette Colvin, who as a young girl of 14 years in Montgomery AL, actually did what Rosa Parks became famous for.....months BEFORE Parks did it...refusing to give up her seat on the bus. This book tells why Claudette didn't receive the fame that Parks did. At this writing, C. Colvin is 79 y/o! This book's artwork is really good, yet simply drawn & colored in shades of browns. The 'Historical Notes' at the end are very good, telling about all the important players in this history. I learned a lot in this short/quick read....well worth the read. There were actually 5 female plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle case (of giving up seats on the bus to white passengers, occurring in the mid 1950's.) It's a good book for everyone to read! I give the full 5 stars in rating for Claudette Colvin!
I received a free e-ARC from the publisher Europe Comics via NetGalley, in return for reading it & posting my own fair & honest review.

Short and simple. This graphic novel packs quite a punch in a small amount of space. I"ll be recommending this one to our patrons.

A simple yet compelling graphic novel about Claudette Colvin, one of the many overlooked figures in American history who helped fight for civil rights. What amazed me was Claudette Colvin could've had the legacy Rosa Parks holds in history yet never received the recognition because she was a minor and considered an unrespectable model because of her unexpected teen pregnancy (it is implied that she was raped by a white man). This was a fascinating and riveting narrative of Claudette Colvin's life told through simple illustrations. I liked the color scheme here- a mix of white, brown and black which enhanced the story through portraying the separation of races. This graphic novel is made comprehensible for a vast audience though it might be overlooked by older readers due to its simplicity and cartoonish vibe. Extremely well done. 8/10 would recommend.

Warning triggers: rape (implied in dialogue but not made explicit), racial slurs, mild violence

*Thank you to NetGalley and its publishers for providing a free ARC*

Received via NetGalley for review.

A good introduction to the sadly forgotten Claudette Colvin, the first woman to protest segregation in Montgomery. Based on a book (which probably goes more in-depth), this simple graphic novel is a good way to introduce the issues of civil rights and feminism to younger readers. The simple art style and color palette means it will probably be dismissed as "too easy" for older readers, though.

This is a great introduction to the story of Claudette Colvin for younger readers as well as fans of graphic novels.

I snagged this as soon as I saw it was available on NetGalley because I’ve recently heard Claudette Colvin mentioned and wanted to know more of her story. Unfortunately, I was left a little disappointed with this version of it.


The writing felt very disjointed. It felt like getting a very basic run through of Claudette Colvin’s life. I feel like this is a good jumping off point if you want to know the very basic facts of Claudette Colvin’s life and how her contributions were mostly erased from history. There were a few moments where the writing really flowed and I felt the emotion the writer was attempting to imbue but again, that was only at a few key moments. Mostly the writing felt a bit awkward and disjointed which took me out of the story.

The art had a somewhat childlike, stick figure type style but it worked. I really think the decision to stick with a color scheme of black, white, and brown was my favorite part of the entire novel. The colors were beautiful.

I feel like this is a probably a good entry point for some readers which is why I’m giving it 3 stars even though it probably leans more towards a 2.5.