The Horn Book Guide

BIOGRAPHIES

Powell, Patricia Hruby

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker

104 pp. | Chronicle | February, 2014 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4521-0314-3 $17.99

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Christian Robinson. This incomparable biography conveys dancer Josephine Baker's passion, exuberance, dignity, and eccentricity through words and pictures that nearly jump off the page. Powell doesn't shy away from the challenges (including racism) Baker faced but emphasizes that Baker never let them overwhelm her joy from performing. Robinson's highly stylized, boldly colored illustrations are at once sophisticated and inviting to young readers. Reading list.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014