Katherine Dunham

School Library Journal

Gr 8-12-- A biography of the woman who, among other accomplishments, strongly shaped modern American dance with her work based on Caribbean folk dance. Crisp and straightforward writing emphasizes Dunham's professional career and only touches upon her dynamic personality. No specialized knowledge of modern dance or 20th-century African- American history is needed; Dominy offers good background on both. A list of further reading is included. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs that are at times overly dark. Still, the work compares favorably with Haskins's Katherine Dunham (Putnam, 1982), which, although for younger readers, is slightly better written and gives a stronger sense pf what Dunham faced during segrega tion. Dominy's book will be a nice bridge be tween that title and Dunham's own autobiog raphy, A Touch of Innocence (Ayer, 1980). -- Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library