This is an amazing piece of non-fiction narrative for kids. It lays out Joséphine Baker's life as though she is telling us about it.

The book covers segregation through Josephine's experiences as a female theatrical performer in America and then France. The contrasts help to highlight the horror of discrimination, through showing how she is treated in both places.

When the war arrives, we see how Joséphine takes an active role in defending her new home France.

Importantly this book has a lot of detail, but written in a consice manner, while ensuring there is plenty to capture the reader's attention. I am so disappointed I never knew more about Joséphine Baker before now and I'm so pleased this book is available for children to explore black history that has too often been neglected.

I have to admit I'd never really heard or knew much about Josephine Baker, but my interest was piqued by the title Dance of Resistance, possibly because it sounded so similar to Resist (about Audrey Hepburn written by Tom Palmer which I absolutely loved reading, and because Dance of Resistance is also a story with links to WW2 (one of my favourite periods in History). Also Barrington Stoke always publish tremendous reads, and I was keen to discover more. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed Freedom and Race to the Frozen North also by Catherine, so I was looking forward to reading this.
This telling of the story of Josephine Baker: dancer, singer, actress, movie star, and civil-rights activist who overcame poverty to become one of the biggest stars of the early twentieth century, by Catherine Johnson is an accessible read which will engage readers at all levels, although readers should note that there is a section that will certainly not be suitable for younger readers.
In Dance of Resistance we learn how Baker used her connections to help the Resistance in their fight against the Nazis during the Second World War and later became involved with Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement in the US. It is clear that Johnson's story is inspiring and her story has been vividly brought to life by the pen of Catherine Johnson.
Although errors with formatting spoilt the flow of the text, this was an informative read. Huge thanks to the publishers Barrington Stoke for an early read via NetGalley.