Jazz Age Josephine

The first lines were straight blues; even I was able to read them well. But when it got jazzy or whatever, I lost track of the rhythm or cadence. *But* that's on me. I am confident that this would be wonderful with the right narrator-reader.

But I'm reading a string of picture-book biographies and they seem to getting aimed younger and younger. I find it so dissatisfying to learn so little... even the author's notes and back matter aren't as helpful as I'd like. Baker sounds like an amazing woman and I'd like to have read more about her.
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Reread. I discovered that it's true... when one reads too much at once, one doesn't appreciate as much. There's actually a fair bit of what's most relevant in here, just told so concisely that it's show more missable. But still I do want even more.

Meanwhile, this is indeed a story well worth recommending. show less

With a call and response style of prose and lush watercolor illustrations, you can't help but feel a bit of New Orleans Jazz seeping from the pages of this non-fiction picture book biography about Josephine Baker. Josephine was an African American who was caught up in the St. Louis riots as a child in 1917, moved to New York to be a part of show business, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to France, and became an international star on stage for her comedy and dance routines. The book tastefully tells the story of her early career y focusing on her talent as a comedienne and dancer, but not on the style of dance that she often performed in (Burlesque). Because of the call and response Blues type of style, this will make a great storytime book. show more The narrative would also be good for including body movement like making silly faces, clapping hands, dancing, etc. There are some advanced concepts, like certain dance steps (the Charleston) but otherwise, the language is relatively accessible. Highly recommended, especially for children who are interested in song and dance. show less

I loved this picture book; I am going to choose this book for my field experience. The book begins talking about Josephine and where she lived. What really grabbed my attention was the first page of the book, the first page stated she lived in New Orleans. I know that is not the most exciting thing, but it grabbed my attention because most of us are from New Orleans or know many things about New Orleans because our school is located in New Orleans area. I thought it connected me somehow to the story and grabbed my attention before even reading the second page.
She is originally from St. Louis, but she was ran out of her house by fires created by the white folk. That is how she made her way to New Orleans, a major city for the Jazz age. show more New Orleans was not for her, so she made her way to New York to pursue her dancing career. New York was fine at first, until she realized she was a laughing stock for everyone instead of being praised for her talents. So, she took a boat to Paris, France and that is where her dancing career blew up. People loved her dancing and did not judge her by the color of her skin. At the end of the book, she is pictured crying in her show mirror. I think this symbolizes just because she has what she always dreamed of doesn't mean she is truly happy. She misses her family and is still upset because where she belongs and where she is from people don't accept her and deep down that truly hurts her. show less

This picture book is a whirlwind of words and drawings. In terms of the text, it’s all over the place, in different font sizes and varying styles of verse, with lots of repetition and some rhyme, and delivered in African American English here and Standard English there. As for the artwork, it spills off the pages in bright, bold colors of red, yellow, and blue, and always with Josephine dancing, dancing — sometimes six of her on one spread. To some readers, this may give the book the feel of jazz improv. Kinesthetic learners will love it. For others, and certainly those sensitive to lots of visual stimulation, it might simply wear them out. Josephine herself is run pretty ragged in parts, especially from racism, which is told about show more with blunt honesty but brevity. For instructional purposes, the book could be used to launch inquiry of Ms. Baker’s life, of course, as well as race relations in America in the first half of the Twentieth Century. An informative author’s note at the end of the narrative gives dates and details that might help focus further study. show less

Biographies can be boring to read, but not this one! The biography of Josephine Baker is all about her love for dancing and how she used it to become a success. Josephine danced from when she was young, poor and facing discrimination, all the way until she was old, fighting for equality. The author, Jonah Winter, centers the theme of the book around racism and color because during this time the 1920s were dominated by discrimination. Josephine Baker played a huge role in fighting for the equality of African Americans. Therefore, this book honors her contributions. However, these themes are more serious and can be touched on with children who are ready to discuss such topics. If they are not ready, this book is also just plain fun to show more read and dance along with, to0! show less

LOVED this book. the scat and rhythm used to tell the story of Josephine Bakers life were brilliant and the pictures by Priceman were spot on. I read this to a group of second graders and they loved it. Jonah Winter did an amazing job chronicling the life of Miss Josephine.

I love Marjorie Priceman's illustrations - the swirling lines, the bright, bright colors. I just want to jump into her paintings. I really like this book, but I'm not sure it's going to find any kind of an audience here at our library which is a shame. The text is rhythmic and jazzy although I'd definitely want to run through it a time or two before attempting to read it to a group.