8 1/2" X 10 1/5"; 64 pages; 23 original paintings and 2 photographs
Author(s)
Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrator(s)
Frida Kahlo
Interest/Age Group
Grades 6+
Ages
Ages 12 and up
List Price
US$ 18.99
About
the
Book
"Wearing
the white huipil
with the lavender
tassel, hiding
my amputated leg in red-leather
boots, I wheel
the wheelchair to the Blue House
studio that
Diego so lovingly built for
me.
I dip
the brush in blood-red
paint and,
embracing life with all its
light, I print
on a watermelon cut open—like I
am— ¡Viva
la
vida!— a
hymn to nature and life."
Frida Kahlo, a native
of Mexico, is described here in biographical poems accompanied by her own
artwork. Both text and images reveal the anguish and joy of her two marriages to
muralist Diego Rivera, her life-long suffering from a crippling bus accident,
and her thirst for life, even as she tasted death. Her favorite motto was:
¡Viva la vida! (Long live life!)
Back matter includes excerpts
from Frida’s diary and letters, a prose biography, a chronology of the
artist’s life, a glossary of Spanish words, sources, and
notes.
CARMEN T. BERNIER-GRAND grew up in Puerto Rico and now
lives in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of several children’s books.
Her picture-book biography César
¡Sí, se puede! Yes, We Can! illustrated by David Diaz was a
Pura Belpré Honor Book for both author and illustrator and an ALA Notable
Children’s Book. It also received a starred review from
School Library Journal.
To learn more about the author, visit: http://www.hevanet.com/grand/
Best Children's Books of the Year Bank Street College
An Américas Award Commended Title
Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People NCSS - CBC, 2008
Pura Belpré Honor Book ALA, 2008
ALA Notable Book ALA, 2008
Booklist Editor's Choice Booklist Magazine, 2008
CCBC Choices, 2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Top 10 Biography for Youth Booklist Magazine, 2008
Top 10 Arts Books for Youth Booklist, 2008
Frida Viva la Vida Long Live
Life Carmen T. Bernier-Grand Reviews
*"In all, it's an
astonishing effort, buttressed by meaty backmatter that makes Kahlo accessible
to a new generation in a way straight text never could." STARRED
REVIEW —Kirkus
Reviews, October 15,
2007
*"...the poems
here artfully imagine a famous figure’s heart and mind and push readers to
wonder how words can best capture the essence of a
life." STARRED
REVIEW —Booklist,
November 1,
2007
"...Bernier-Grand
offers a well-researched, yet personal and compelling, portrait of an icon. Her
sensitive poetry provides insight to Kahlo’s life and art without
disturbing the
mystery." —School
Library Journal, December
2007
"This is perfect for students who have an interest in
Kahlo or artists in general and who may not be ready for a full-length
biography." —Library
Media Connection, January
2008
"This powerful
Pura Belpré Author Honor Book features biographical free-verse poems about
the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, illustrated with the artist’s
work, and captures the passion and intensity of the painter’s
life." —Book
Links, January
2009
