Josephine Baker sought to live a life outside the color line, in a world where her superb talent and spirited, superior heart could triumph. She got her break in segregated Vaudeville and made it to the big time, but criticism grounded in the color of her skin was common. It wasn’t until she left the United States for Paris and other international cities that she found acceptance and freedom, although she still faced racist jeers at times. But she persevered, and lived her ideal, raising a “rainbow tribe” of international children. It was never easy, breaking down barriers, and she and her children struggled financially after her career had peaked. Her home country took the longest to accept her, but Josephine would eventually triumph in America, too. “At sixty-seven, she booked a performance at Carnegie Hall … the Carnegie crowd cheered till the tears came — theirs and hers.” Patricia Hruby Powell’s dynamic, informative, and tender look at the life of Josephine Baker is paired with Christian Robinson’s expressive acrylic illustrations, which are full of both energy and poignancy. Notes from both the author and the artist provide more background on Josephine and their research and inspiration. Further reading and quotation sources are provided. (Ages 8–13)

Coretta Scott King Book Award, Illustrator, Honor
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, Honor
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Nonfiction Honor

In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine's powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.