The illustrations absolutely make this - they are gorgeous! The book itself is a very brief biography of Frida Kahlo, mostly focusing on her various pets through the years. In the book itself you don't learn too much about Frida beyond the very basics, but for a young audience it's enough. For those who might be more curious there is at least a page at the end with more detail!

If I just wanted to introduce children to the idea of Frida Kahlo, this might be a good way to do this. I would never have though of focusing on her animals, but whatever works.

However, there are no examples of her actual paintings anywhere in the book, although there is a brief, more detailed bio at the end of the book.

Without the images of the paintings, it makes me wonder if a child, reading this book, would understand how important this artist was, or what she went through in her life, or anything special, such as how she promoted indigenous art and dress.

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

This book is a short biographical insight into the life and works of Frida Kahlo. I love Kahlo's work and when I saw this book on Netgalley, I had no alternative but to read it.

Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican artist, famous for her paintings using bold vibrant colours. Kahlo in her teens had a very serious accident that left her with multiple fractures of the spine, collarbone and ribs, a shattered pelvis, broken foot and a dislocated shoulder. This accident resulted in her having to undergo approx 30 operations. Many of her paintings showed the emotional and physical pain that she had to endure, for example 'The Broken Column', a painting that I personally love. Of her 200 works (paintings, sketches and drawings) 55 are self portraits.

Brown's book focuses on Kahlo's relationship with her animals. These animals feature in many of Kahlo's paintings and from those paintings it is very evident that Kahlo loved all her animals. Kahlo had a very turbulent life, especially during the years when she was married to fellow artist Diego Rivera.

Brown's biography of Kahlo is accompanied by lovely illustrations from John Parra. This is a short book, therefore only gives a brief insight into Kahlo's life. The author does provide an addendum giving more information about Kahlo. Brown's text and Parra's illustrations produce an excellent book, especially for the younger budding artist who wants to start to learn about art history. A lovely book to read.

More information on Frida Kahlo can be found here: www.fridakahlo.org


Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown. Illustrated by John Parra. North South Books Inc.
This is a sweet introduction to Kahlo’s art via her animals, a condensed version of her relatively short life written and illustrated for any child’s appreciation. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and North South Books Inc. for providing this ebook for review.

I like how the author is telling a very condensed biography of Frida Kahlo through the pets she had throughout her life; it shows a great deal of originality which is in a way very artistic. The story is engaging and the pictures are colorful and that makes this book’s presentation very appealing to elementary teachers that are interested on bringing art into the classroom. I can see how this book could really inspire kids to try out their hand at drawing and painting because it focuses on Frida’s pets and kids love their own pets because they feel a connection with them. I hope this book gets printed as a hardcover big picture book; it deserves it.

The author presents a glimpse into the life of Mexico's most well-known female painter. The narrative is framed by the animals Kahlo had as pets and their influence--and presence--in her artwork.

This was a very entertaining story of Frida Kahlo and the animals in her life. How they lent her their happiness when she had little of her own. How they would constantly show up in her paintings. I think this is a very well done picture book of a remarkable artist. I like that they add a real life picture to Frida at the end. I wish they had also added some of her paintings that are talked about in the story and end matter.

I like any book that empowers children and introduces them to others who have overcome obstacles and Frida certainly had those.
This is a simplified biography of Frida Kahlo with emphasis on her animals. I felt there were some big gaps (for instance; bus accident at age 18 to her husband building a pyramid for the animals to climb on) however the story was good.
Great illustrations too.

A gorgeous look at one of the most fascinating artists in history and her sacred bond with her animal companions.

Frida Kahlo was an excellent artist. In this children's book we get a chance to look at a few of the things that made Frida into who she was. We briefly are able to look at a few key experiences as well as a few things that were very important to her. The illustration was done well in bright colors!

Engaging text with equally engaging illustrations. Young children will enjoy learning about Frida's "animalitos" and the challenges she faced in overcoming health issues as a young girl. This is the child-friendly (i.e. sanitized) telling of her story. Nevertheless, five stars for an appealing, colorful picture book.

I particularly like the idea of a book purely centred on well-known influential artist Frida Kahlo, and her beloved pets. It follows her rise from a creative youngster with a wonderful imagination to the influential artist that she became. The perspective of this book really suits young readers, as rather than focusing on her life story on the whole, the inclusion of her animals and how they fit into her life is perhaps more interesting to young ones. The illustrations are lovely, and very much in the style of Frida's work. The only downside is the text is in places difficult to read due to its placement on blocks of colour and small size.

A colourful and fascinating look at the early life of this famous artist.. An excellent introduction for young children who are looking at her work. I learnt a lot about her relationship with animals and her youth.

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos Is a terrific book for children to learn about how this amazing artist overcame physical strife to be one of the world's best painters. The relationships she had with her animals and pets is shown in beautiful vivid illustrations using colors that remind us of Kahlo's art and life. It is inspirational for children who can see that art is a special way to persevere though hardships.

This captivating real-life children's story chronicles Frida Kahlo's momentous journey with vibrant images to highlight her imaginative work that we continue to cherish for future generations!

3.5 stars.

A pretty semi-biography of Frida Kahlo, specifically focusing on her pets and other animal friends and how they inspired much of her work. The paintings throughout are very lovely, and I loved the use of bold colors that conveys some of Kahlo's color choices.

The actual biography of Kahlo herself was a bit weak, as there were many specific facts left out in the story; however, there is a brief page at the end of the book that does provide some more facts about her life, but still not in detail. And while Khalo is shown painting throughout the book, there isn't any gallery of her works at the end. Of course many of her works may not be exactly "kid-friendly," but many of the ones with animals are appropriate for a young audience (Self-Portrait with Monkey and Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace & Hummingbird are referenced in the story and incorporate some of the animal friends mentioned).

This would be a fun addition to any art curriculum that has a unit or lesson on Kahlo's work. My love for her work was spurred because of the yearly grade school art lessons focusing on a few of her works (the Thorn Necklace one was the one I remember learning the most about), and by framing her life through the animals she lived with, it provides an excellent segue into discussing some of her works.

This is a lovely book, I loved the historical nature and how it told the story of this remarkable lady. The images were great and they really helped tell the story - definitely one I'd recommend - 5 stars!