Me, Frida

Me, Frida
by Amy Novesky
Illustrated by David Diaz
Abrahms, 2010. 32 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 4-8
Hardcover: $16.95

Annotation: Meet Frida Kahlo as she makes her home in San Francisco in this beautifully illustrated volume worthy of the artist herself.

Summary: Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico and married the famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. She was a painter in her own right, but not as famous as her husband. When Diego was asked to paint several murals for the city of San Franciso, Frida accompanied him on the journey to the United States. Diego and Frida toured the city together as Diego searched for inspiration for his murals. However, Frida did not enjoy her time in the foggy city at first and whenever the two went to parties, Frida stayed small and silent beside her giant, ebulliant husband. After awhile Frida went exploring on her own and began to see the beauties the city had to offer. She gained more confidence and one day she burst into song, regaling the crowd with traditional Mexican folksongs. After that she went home and began her famous wedding portrait of Diego and herself. This was the first painting in Frida's new style, which is intimate and folkloric than her previous works had been and it has become one of her most beloved works of art.

Evaluation: Diaz's illustrations and Novesky's prose complement each other perfectly in this gorgeous biography of Frida Kahlo. Even though the illustrations are reminiscent of Kahlo's works--the cover is particularly similar to many of Frida's self-portraits--Diaz utilizes his own style. Each page is completely washed in a variety of colors that drip and swirl artistically together as only watercolors can do.  Diaz uses bright, deep jewel tones to celebrate Frida and her rich Mexican heritage. The colors range from deep blues and greens to vibrant oranges, violets and golds. He captures Frida's unique style of clothing and her iconic braids and each page is a new and fancifal scene in the life of these two famous artists. I especially loved the scene where Frida and Diego "fly" to San Francisco. The two are pictured flying through the air, holding hands with their eyes closed and heads raised to the wind as Frida clutches a suitcase in one hand. It opens the imagination and points out the humor and the nuances of the term, "fly". Above all, the book gives children a small taste of Kahlo's life and should encourage their interest in art history and instill a desire to learn more about this amazing woman.

Significance: Frida Kahlo is a celebrated artist and an important icon in art history. This biography introduces children to the wonder of Kahlo and teaches them that you can make your own dreams come true, even if there is someone in life who overshadows you.

Personal Choice: I used to teach a Humanities/English class and we were studying The House on Mango Street when I needed to find some artwork to complement the reading unit. I found the paintings of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera worked perfectly and since then they have always been artists of interest to me. I also began reading The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver in which the main character meets and works with both Frida and Diego and my interest was flamed even further.

Awards: Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book, 2011