The Met Frida Kahlo

The Met Frida Kahlo is an excellent biography of Frida Kahlo for emerging readers. It provides important details about her life and the writing is easy to understand but not childish. I will be adding this to my library's book purchase list.

A great biography of Frida Kahlo for kids! It is very comprehensive and has fun interactive pieces for young artists that mimic what Frida was painting in that time (for instance draw your foot like when Frida was stuck in bed and started drawing by drawing her foot). I also loved the illustrations that went with this one too. Highly recommend!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This biography series for children (7-9 years) brings an amazing character of Frida Kahlo whose colorful surroundings and supportive parents influenced her to become an original artist.

Her story begins in childhood. Her grandfather was a painter, and her father, who came from Germany, was a photographer. He showed her how to take pictures and taught her appreciation for nature. Their blue house, La Casa Azul, was surrounded by lots of flowers, attracting colorful butterflies, birds, and other animals. Her father believed that, like boys, a girl should have an education, which she pursued.

To help her parents with money, she got a job as an assistant to a printmaker. This position gave her opportunity to learn how to draw by copying the work of famous artists. In her final year of school, she got into a horrible accident. She suffered many fractures and broken bones. She had to stay in bed for months where she grew restless. Her mother came up with very creative ideas for Frida to paint. And this is when her creative soul blossomed. As soon as she was able to walk, she went to Diego Rivera to have a look at her paintings. At her school, Diego Rivera, a prominent Mexican painter, was hired to create a mural. He was dazzled by her artistry.

Her story continues with her marriage and how she developed her authentic style.

Frida’s story is engrossingly presented. It exposes her whole life, with enough details to give dimensions, but not to overwhelm. There are some words which might be hard for children to pronounce, and the meaning might have to be explained.

Overall, wonderful storytelling and eye-catching illustrations that pop-out of the pages and enforce the true spirit of the artist Frida was.

I never realized that Frida Kahlo wanted to be a doctor. There were so many good details and information in this book. The illustrations are so bright and engaging!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

What an amazing story with the most vibrant illustrations I have ever seen. I have seen pictures of Frida Kahlo on various items, but I did not know her story. I'm glad the darker periods in her life weren't glossed over as happens in other children's books.

The added art project ideas for the reader to do is a fun added bonus.

This book really touched my heart. I had no idea that such beautiful artwork was born in such pain. What a lovely testament to art and painting and its healing effect on the human heart. This book was well written and the illustrations were so pretty and colorful and helped draw you into the world of Frida, as she must have seen it. I would recommend this book to families who are interested in learning about art and not afraid to talk about difficult topics with their kids. Even as an adult, it took a few sittings to read in it’s entirety, for a picture book it’s fairly meaty and the subject matter is emotionally weighty. So give yourself some space to digest the material, but it is well worth the journey.
Thank you for the eARC, I learned a lot through this book.