Powell, P: Josephine

An emotionally powerful biography told in verse of a dancer, singer, comedienne, and enduring figure - Josephine Baker - from her birth in the slums, her fantastic success, and her fight against racial prejudice.

Patricia Hruby Powell danced throughout the Americas and Europe with her dance company, One Plus One, before becoming a writer of children's books. She has marveled at the spirit, courage, and beauty of Josephine Baker for a long time, and while visiting schools as a storyteller/ author and working as a librarian, she realised what a great role model Josephine could be to young people. Christian Robinson remembers the first time he saw Paul Colin's illustration of Josephine dancing in a banana skirt. He was inspired then, at the age of 13. Years later he is still inspired by Josephine and never imagined being given the opportunity to share her story through illustrations of his own.