Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively, appealing bio encourages being your unique self.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
I AM FRIDA KAHLO opens in Mexico City, where little Frida is born to a loving family in 1907. At age 6, she contracts polio, which leaves her with one leg shorter and thinner than the other. Kids mock her; her father, who shares his love of art, photography, and nature with his daughter, encourages her to build strength with "boy sports" like soccer and boxing. Indomitable and independent, she sets her own style, makes interesting friends, and disregards those who say mean things about her. At 18, she's bedridden in the wake of a devastating accident that will leave her in pain for the rest of her life. While recuperating in a full body cast, she teaches herself to paint, unleashing her imagination and her love for the lively, colorful culture of Mexico. Painter Diego Rivera praises her work; they eventually marry and travel the world, always returning home to Mexico, where the house she grew up in is now a museum dedicated to her life and art.
Is It Any Good?
Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos present a lively, appealing picture book intro to the strong, imaginative artist known for her intense self-portraits steeped in elements of Mexican folklore. In I Am Frida Kahlo, we see Frida refusing to be limited by pain and ill health or by the expectations of others as she revels in the world of her imagination and becomes famous for her art -- and encourages her students to see beauty wherever they look. There's a strong message of being your best, unique self:
"My face, my clothes, my country, even my pain --
these are the colors on my canvas.
They don't look like anyone else's,
and they shouldn't.
That's the best part.
Your picture is uniquely yours."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about art and the artist's life shown in I Am Frida Kahlo. Do you know anyone who works as an artist? What kind of things do they do? What kind of art do you like to do?
Have you read other books in the Ordinary People Change the World series? Do you have any favorites? How does I Am Frida Kahlo compare with them?
What did you learn about Mexico City in this book? After reading Frida Kahlo's story, do you think you might like to spend some time there?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Christopher Eliopoulos
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : Arts , History
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Dial
- Publication date : March 9, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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