Little People, Big Dreams: Josephine Baker. Tekst: Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara. Illustraties: Agathe Sorlet.

Oh yes, een nieuw deeltje in de Van klein tot groots reeks! Tevens een klein minpuntje dat me blijft storen, als fan van het eerste uur, verzamelaar van alle deeltjes: de naamsverandering. Dat staat zo lelijk in mijn boekenkast. Maar voor de rest niets dan lof!

Little People, Big Dreams is een geweldige reeks boekjes over kleine mensjes die grootse dromen hebben en als volwasenne de wereld veranderen. In dit geval Josephine Baker. Bowie, Astrid Lindgren, Marie Curie en vele anderen gingen haar al voor. Elk boekje is een pareltje in woord, beeld en vormgeving. De schrijftser blijft dezelde, enkel de illustrator verandert.

In dit geval zijn de tekeningen van Sorlet en zij levert prachtig werk. Het kleurgebruik is sober en toch spat de dynamiek en levenslust van elke pagina. Haar stijl past perfect bij het boeiende levensverhaal van de grensverleggende Josephine Baker.

Fan, fan, fan! ( )

1906-1975. Dancer, actor, spy, activist (she refused to perform in segregated theaters, and spoke at the March on Washington). ( )

This was ok. My eARC does not include the title page or back cover so I do not feel I'm evaluating the entire book, which is frustrating. I thought that the art was a little too simplistic. Josephine Baker is a beautiful and elegant woman and the simple line drawing style could be of anyone. The backgrounds were also so simple as to be non-existent on many pages. I realize this is for very young children but this just fell flat to me. I think even babies can handle a little more than is being given to them here.

I received this eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I am becoming a huge fan of the "Little People, Big Dreams" series. There are so many great people, but many biographies go unread. This series piques the interest of young readers with basic, simple facts about the person with the hope that they will do further investigation on their own.

In this book we learn a lot of facts about Josephine Baker and the times that she lived. There was a lot I learned as I read this book, so even though it is geared at children by keeping the information short and to the point, any age could read this book. It discusses important issues such as segregation and World War II. It included information from her life and did not just focus on her dancing abilities. It included information about her being a spy, adopting children, having a variety of pets and marching for civil rights. At the back of the book you will find actual photos and other biographical information as well. It also gave resources that the reader could use to find out more. A great addition to a school or public library. The publisher, Lincoln Children's Books, provided me with a copy of this book to read, the opinions are my own. ( )