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Frida Kahlo grows in her artistic skill and faces challenges, but always has animals by her side.
This book is a great

I learned a lot about Frida Kahlo and her life. This was a biography that was told through a description of her animals. A very creative way to write a biography. ( )

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

This novel depiction of Frida Kahlo's life and journey to becoming an artist is a colorful non-sympathetic portrayal of Frida's life obstacles. Growing up, Frida faced a major illness and a major accident; but that did not stop her from interacting with the outside world; particularly animals. She adopted many animals throughout her life and used them as muses for her paintings.

I love animals, and I know many of my students do too! This biography tells a story of healing and creativity rather than a timeline of events and struggles. The pictures are bright and detailed, and the words are spun into beautiful sentiments about finding inner strength.

Title: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos
- Author: Monica Brown
- Illustrator: John Parra
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Date: August 2017 (date published)
- Pages: 37
- Type of Book/genre: Picture Book, Biography
- Short Summary of the Plot: The story begins with introducing Frida, how she grew up to be a famous painter, and that she had a lot of special pets. Throughout the story, they relate her pet animals back to her. For example, she had a pet fawn, and like the fawn, she had beautiful, watchful eyes. The author also gives details about her life and her family; for example, Frida’s father was a photographer, and they would go to the park together. The author talks about how her animals kept her company, that she was never really alone, and that they were her inspiration in her paintings.
- Tags/subject headings that describe the content: informational, animals, art work, life.
- My response: Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite painters, I love her artwork. So, reading about her was very enjoyable. I would like to have this book in my class so my students can learn to appreciate her too.