Divided into 8 simple chapters, this gorgeously illustrated book takes us on a chronological journey through Kahlo's life and work.

I love Frida Kahlo and have quite a collection of books about her. However, this may be my new favorite for young readers because of the questions that inspire reflection that are sprinkled throughout the text.

I’m more than a little biased when walking into this book. I love Frida Kahlo, and as a children’s librarian, am always looking for ways to introduce the kids I serve to her work. Katz’s book is a great tool for that and is something that would make a great addition to a children’s biography collection or a classroom library.
The writing style is simple and engaging, a rarity in a children’s biography. It serves as a great introduction to Frida, both as an artist and as just an all around cool woman.

This book is part of a fun series of biographies aimed at beginning readers. I'm really enjoying this series- the information is interesting, inspiring, and age-appropriate, and there are engaging inclusions in the text to keep the reader involved, such as discussion questions, timelines, and a quiz and glossary at the end to enhance comprehension. The illustrations are bright and detailed, and go well with the text. Frida was a remarkable woman and role model, and I found her story particularly moving because of the physical pain and illnesses she endured, all while breaking ground for female artists everywhere.

#TheStoryofFridaKahlo #NetGalley

This is the second biography for young readers by this author that I have read.  It is a chapter book with appealing illustrations.

The book begins with some information about Mexico and the political unrest that existed when Frida was young.  Ms. Katz then goes on to engagingly tell Frida's life story.

The author presents an honest biography, noting the many challenges that Frida faced over her lifetime.  Some of these challenges were health related while others had to do with her relationship with Diego Rivera, another artist.  Ms. Katz notes the roles of Frida's love of animals, Casa Azul, imagination and art as coping mechanisms that served her well. 

The book includes sections called "Jump in the Think Tank."  These contain topics to think about and extend the reading experience.  There are also some myths vs facts, timelines, quotations and more.  The book concludes with a quiz that will help young readers to see if they have retained what they learned.

I highly recommend this title.  It deserves a place in school and home libraries.  The text and gorgeous illustrations complement one another beautifully.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute little biography of Frida Kahlo. I didn’t know much about her going into this book so this was a nice introduction to her story. I really want to read more about her now. I think this was a cute way for children to learn about her. I liked the timelines and the myth vs. fact boxes. I also really liked the glossary and the quiz in the back of the book. I do wish there were maybe images of the paintings referenced so that the reader can know what is being talked about. I had to keep looking them up, which I totally don’t mind doing, but it might be easier for the children to have the images in the book. I really want to read more of these books so I’ll be looking for them!

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

A good beginner book about Frida Kahlo. Some pictures of her art would have made it better though. This is an easy chapter book, appropriate for elementary aged children.

I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.

Frida Kahlo was an accomplished artist. Her art reflected her reality. Sick from polio as a young child and having recovered from a terrible accident later in life, she has come from terrible circumstances. It was painting that gave her life and purpose. Her biography is reflective and somber as she has had many personal obstacles as well. But thru her obstacles, she has had many successes.

She was a very unique woman in how she overcome. A challenging read for young readers to reflect on how Frida overcame her obstacles, the personality that it took to fight, and how she used success to teach others.

A Special Thank you to Rockridge Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

This is my second Katz “Biography Book for New Readers,” and it definitely won’t be my last. Illustration, maps, timelines, diagrams, and reading comprehension questions encourage the reader’s engagement with the text. These elements break up the chapters nicely and give new readers the experience with these elements as well, which will help them with future textbooks and exercises in school.

Frida had a difficult life and made beautiful art through her pain. Speaking of art, I love the art in this book! It’s so whimsical and cute. This book is an excellent bridge from picture books to larger, longer chapter books, and I can’t wait to recommend the books in this series to my young patrons at the library.

This one is out next week, so don’t sleep on it. Check it out for the young reader in your life, or you know, for yourself if you need some interesting, cute nonfiction in your life.

This is an enjoyable book for young readers, to either introduce them to or to learn more about Frida Kahlo. It gives a good background of her youth, her family, her illnesses and injuries, her marriage, and of course her art. It covered fairly complex topics for a relatively short book aimed at a young audience.

I enjoyed the artwork in the book. I realize that the book probably did not have permissions to reproduce her artwork, but it is frustrating to read about so many specific paintings without having them available to view. I also felt everyone was portrayed as very white, even in the scene portraying the 1953 exhibition of her work in Mexico City. My 3-year-old looked at the picture and said "do those people have white skin or brown skin?" because she's very interested in the topic right now, and I was like, "huh. everyone *looks like* they have white skin, which seems wrong." So that's my only real complaint with the book and why it's 4 stars instead of 5.

I thought this was such a beautiful and great biography of Frida Kahlo. I think this will be a great children's biography and series for kids to start learning about people through out history. I love the artwork, the quotes, and questions given through out the book. This might even be great for schools to use for kids who want to learn and have great pictures to look at. I also like the quiz in the back of the books. Frida was such a colorful woman and her art helped change the world for the better. She taught kids not only how to paint, but paint with a passion and never give up on themselves when you find yourself in a dark place.

My 5 year old and I focus on a different female from history each month and this month, we've been reading up on Frida Kahlo so I was excited to get approved for this! So much information and laid out in a way that was easy to navigate. My daughter loved the illustrations and enjoyed learning more about Frida Kahlo. I definitely recommend this!

Frida Kahlo's story is one that needs to be heard. Her life was short and her choices at times controversial but they never become an issue in this book that shows young readers how she overcame unbelievable odds and followed her heart to produce incredible artwork.. The reader learns how art was an escape for Kahlo. Katz takes the reader through the painful early and later years of Kahlo's life. The reader learns of Kahlo's polio and how her parents helped her to make the best of a bad situation. This was a lesson she carried with her through her life. It offers an excellent teachable moment for the classroom or for parents who will hopefully read this with their child. The 8 chapters: An Artist is Born, The Early Years, A Life Saved, World Travelers, Frida's Time to Shine, Fame Finds Frida, A Fighter Till the End, So..... Who was Frida Kahlo? and vibrant illustrations draw the young reader in.

This is a book I will recommend to teachers in grades 1 -3 wanting to show the power of art as a means of expression, as a means of escape and as a means of enpowerment. Although it is designed as a picture book for younger readers I also think it is valuable reading for students in middle and high school who are learning about different methods of using symbols in art to express one's beliefs and emotions.

REVIEW: “The Story of Frida Kahlo” by Susan B. Katz 🎨 I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback 🎨 I’m so excited to be able to give even more high praise to Susan B. Katz for her biography on Frida Kahlo! Another must have for my classroom! This book also contained engaging questions and a quiz at the end. I loved the illustrations once again and had some amazing information about such a unique and iconic artist.

This is the second biography I have read by Susan Katz, and loved this one as well as the one on Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The book is set in very short chapters, and points out how things have changed since Frida was a live, including how unusual it was to have a woman become as famous as she did at the time.

I only wish more of her paintings could have been shown, although the illustrations do hint at them. Unlike Ginsburg, it helps to see what is being referred to in the writing.

I liked the thinking points, and I think this is a good early reader book to get kids interested in this artist.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

***I received a free copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Story of Frida Kahlo by Susan B. Katz is a wonderful introduction with fun illustrations for young readers. The book is written in a way that is easy for young readers to understand. I do feel it can be enjoyed by older readers as well. It follows her life from birth to death. There are simple timelines that follow the story and discussion questions throughout the book. The author has a glossary at the end of the book where readers can find the definitions for the more difficult words found in bold print throughout the story. There is also a great discussion quiz at the end of the book. This is a fun and enjoyable book.

Thank you Netgalley and Rockridge Press for the opportunity to read and review this book..

Juvenile Nonfiction/Biography
Ages: 6-8
Pages: 62
Release Date: March 3, 2020