Cover Image: Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker

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Member Reviews

Like other books in this series, it is a fun little introduction to inspiring people. Definitely a great way to introduce kids to biographies and a nice read for adults too. I would recommend all the books in this series.

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Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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Another in the wonderful series , this is delightfully illustrated and illuminates the life of Josephine Baker. My daughter is nearly 11, an advanced reader and still asks me for the latest books as she is inspired to find out more about the people behind the books.
I love the recommended reading at the back of the book to explore the lives of people who have been influential in their lifetime, and, perhaps, not so recognised after their deaths.
I highly recommend these books to raise awareness of cultural figures such as Josephine Baker, and I tend to buy them as gifts when I am unsure what to get the little people in my life.

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The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one here is about Josephine Baker, a dancer and an activist during WWII. I knew little about her life and I enoyed knowing more about her activism and fight against racism.

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I received an e-arc from net for review

I love this series, it's always a joy to read about someone who I may a lot, a bit or nothing at all. The art style is pleasing to look at, these are books would be a great addition to many elementary classrooms.

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This is the best series of books and I want them all for my two girls! Information and education along with inspiring stories and beautiful art. The perfect combination for curious girls.

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Josephine Baker was an amazing woman!!! Not only was she a fabulous performer, Josephine was a spy during WWII, she was influential in the civil rights movement and an advocate for adoption and racial integration.


I adore this book series. Every child should have all of these books to look up to heroes and heroines in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Prior to reading this book I had only a wisp if knowledge about Josephine Baker, but in reading it to my daughter I found myself googling for more information on her life story. This book makes a great addition to the Little People, BIG world book series. Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, continues to astound me with her talent in accurately depicting the lives of truly fantastic people in a manner that resonates with children. These books are wonderful, and the illustrations are always amazing,

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This is a sweet book introducing young people to Josephine Baker. The illustrations are beautiful. I wish it went a little deeper into her story but it covers the most important bits and will hopefully make kids more curious to find out more.

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This is a charming board book, with great illustrations and easily digestible information. It is sure to please the parent reading it even as it is fun for a child. I even learned something!

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The life of Josephine Baker was obviously too multifaceted to fit between 24 little pages. The illustrations are wonderful, but the 2 lines per double page are not nearly enough to convey who Josephine Baker really was. I knew only her name before and this famous picture of her in the banana skirt. After flipping through this book I'm not really any wiser. There was just so much happening in Josephine Baker's life, and everything is just mentioned very superficially.

I'm fully aware that this book series is aimed at very young children, but even they can handle the double amount of text I think. This woman and her story is definitely worth it!

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My First Josephine Baker is a new young reader book in the series Little People, Big Dreams. Written by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Agathe Sorlet, it's due out 6th Aug 2019 from Quarto publishing on their Frances Lincoln imprint. Aimed at the youngest readers, it's 24 pages, perfect for a storytime or read-to-me read. It's available in boardbook format.

The text is inset into full color page illustrations and each page illustrates the accompanying text. The art is whimsical and simple (see cover) and very appealing. I absolutely loved that it's factually based and realistic and doesn't shy away from the reasons for Ms. Baker's emigration from the US or her life and activities without devolving into stridency or preachiness. The story is followed by a short biography with pictures of her life with ideas for further reading.

This is a perfectly charming little book. I enjoyed it very much and appreciate that this series takes on serious subjects in an accessible and digestible format for even the youngest readers.

Five stars for the format, subject matter, honesty, and charming presentation.

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I love books that show kids that they can do anything, regardsless of colour and gender. Even though the illustrations were a bit simple, they where still striking with the use of colours.

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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.

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I’m embarrassed to admit that, though I’ve heard of Josephine Baker, I knew nothing about her before reading this board book edition of Little People, Big Dreams. She was not only a talented dancer, she was an animal lover, a movie star, a spy, an adoptive mother, and a civil rights activist! Her dancing talent gave her the opportunity to see the world and enabled her to move to a country that celebrated people of all colors. What an important figure for children to learn about and a wonderful example of what one can accomplish when one chooses to dream big!

As is ever the case with the series, a must buy for anyone with small children.

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a visually engaging, easy to read text which gives a concise introduction to the life of Josephine Baker. On it's own, I don't think it goes into enough detail about her life and achievements but it would make an excellent starting point to find out more about her.

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I’d never heard of Josephine Baker, but thanks to this beautiful book, I have a clear understanding of her upbringing, the social issues faced at the time and her incredible achievements during her life.
This edition condenses what appears in the original into sentences that are structured for a younger reading age. It allows for little ones to access the life of Josephine just that little bit earlier.

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Adorable little intro to famous ppl book, i really love this series, especially the range of "role models" they use! I MUST own them all!

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Little People, Big Dreams: Josephine Baker' by Isabel Sanchez Vegara with art by Agathe Sorlet tells the life of Josephine Baker in a picture book format.

Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis. Early in her life, she noticed that white people lived differently than she did. Josephine used her natural talent to leave St. Louis. She ended up in New York, but was still limited because she was a black woman, so she moved to France to become even more famous. Later in her life, she marched with Dr. King and she adopted children of many different races.

I loved the bright contrasting art in this volume. I also loved the way the hair was colored, and how Josephine almost always seemed like she was in motion. This was a fun entry in this series.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group-Frances Lincoln Childrens, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

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This is a great example of the series, with a simple tale of a life well lead, the artwork is noticeably better than some recent entries too.

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