Lucy Brownridge did a beautiful job in describing the incredibly difficult and complex life of Frida Kahlo. The illustrations are equally as beautiful and will inspire children everywhere. The vibrant colors and the integration of Kahlo’s own artwork was masterfully done.

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo is an illustrated biography of Frida Kahlo aimed at young readers (6-10 years). Due out 3rd Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Wide Eyed Editions imprint, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is an appealing full color illustrated short biography and it's part of the Portrait of an Artist series including children's biographies for luminaries such as Van Gogh, Monet, and Georgia O'Keeffe. I think the author does an admirable job of honestly presenting Kahlo's life in an age-appropriate manner. The typesetting and coloring are well done and it's especially impressive that the contrast is consistent and the text shows well and readably on all the different background colors. The art by Sandra Dieckmann is energetic and colorfully appealing.

There is a short interpretational resource list at the back of the book showing some of Frida's major works with an explanatory paragraph about the symbolism. This would make a good group read or resource book for a classroom unit on different artists as well as a nice read for an art interested youngster.

Well done and enjoyable. Five stars.

I don't read a ton of children's books, but I'm obsessed with Frida Kahlo, so I wanted to check this one out. Brownridge does an incredible job summarizing Kahlo's life and career in easy-to-understand language that's perfect for young readers. Her illustrations are fantastic and do a lot to evoke Kahlo's unique style. I also loved that she included small replications of Kahlo's works throughout the story so that readers can get acquainted with her art. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to introduce their kids to art done by an amazingly talented woman of color.

Love this ‘Portrait of an Artist’ series. This richly illustrated book on Frida Kahlo does not disappoint. The basics of Frida's life story are told as well as some of her artwork. The colors of the illustrations transported me into Frida's world. Another well done book in the series.

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo by Lucy Brownridge is a beautiful little book showcasing a Mexican artist. It's a quick overview of her life and art that illustrated beautifully. It's fun how her painting were incorporated into the illustrations!

It was a real delight to get to read this (picture) book. Frida was a truly inspirational person, and this book sums up her life very nicely. Besides the pictures in the book (that I have to say are so Frida-like and beautiful), the part I appreciate the most is the author's success in portraying the artist's life and the background in which some of her most prized works of art are created. The author uses just a few sentences to truly summarize the life of the real contemporary art heroine.

Starting with a gorgeous cover design, Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo is a perfect introduction to one of Mexico’s most iconic painters, and not just for children, though the book is written for ages seven to ten. Like other books in the Discover the Artist Behind the Masterpieces series, the text tells an engaging, age-appropriate biography with gorgeous illustrations. The art echoes the style of Frida Kahlo and includes reproductions of her iconic work paired with a time in her life that likely inspired it, such as the famous painting of she and Diego Rivera featured on a page describing their marriage and with an illustration of the wedding. The final page of the book pairs three paintings with a brief explanation of their meaning which is a great introduction to how to look at art.

What I really loved about the book was that while it provided an explanation of how events and feelings in her life inspired and were expressed in her work, it also highlighted her social activism on behalf of equality and fair pay. The challenges of being a female artist at the time and all her accomplishments were emphasized. Additionally, Brownridge explains how Kahlo felt homesick for Mexico when living in the United States. All these topics are wonderful discussion starters.

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo won’t just help children learn about Frida Kahlo. It will inspire them to overcome challenges and teach them about women’s history. It is definitely a book I would purchase for young readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wide Eyed Editions (Quarto Publishing Group) for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this introduction to Frida Kahlo’s biography, to her work and to the lasting impact she had on the history of art perfect for kids and adults alike. It is beautifully illustrated and engaging, coomprehensive and lovely to read. I highly recommend this inspiring work of art in itself to anyone interested in art!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to discover such a lovely book!
#PortraitOfAnArtistFridaKahlo #NetGalleyFrance

I feel like I learned about Frida Kahlo reading this book! I have recently been learning more about her, and this book included some new information - for instance, I didn't know she had an easel that allowed her to paint in bed. I enjoyed the artwork, I liked the depictions of Frida Kahlo's artwork, and I would recommend this to anyone to read.

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo by Lucy Brownridge is another charming addition to this lovely and ambitious biography series that features some of the world's most influential and beloved artists. The gorgeous, detailed illustrations by Sandra Dieckmann are superb, and serve to enhance a text that is clearly written in a way that will be fully accessible to even the youngest of children. I have fallen in love with this delightful series, and will be, without doubt, adding each precious gem to my collection. Long may this series continue.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions for the opportunity to experience this ARC.

Absolutely beautiful storytelling and artwork. I love Frida, and this is a very nice version of her story for children that showcases her strength and talent. I loved it!

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really lovely little children's book about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. I myself was introduced to Kahlo in my early adolescence by my absolutely amazing and inspirational art teacher. I remember being completely entranced by Kahlo's art and learning about her life. I think I'd really have appreciated a book like this to introduce me to her.

The colours and artwork in the book are vibrant and eye-catching to hold children's interest. I liked the way Kahlo's artworks were incorporated with the illustrations as the story progressed.

The book showcases Kahlo's many artistic achievements, her proud Mexican identity and her feminist ideology. There's no sniff of Diego's infidelity and her Communist beliefs but hey, it's a kids book after all.

A really nice book to introduce to a younger person to pique or further develop an interest in art.

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo by Lucy Brownridge is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. Wonderful book about the short but productive and creative life of Frida Kahlo! The book describes her illness and injury and how she got to painting in bed since she was bored. It told about her successes, her marriage, and more. The back of the book shows some of her paintings with information about each. This is an excellent book to meet this female artist.

The Portrait of an Artist series by Lucy Brownridge is an excellent way to introduce the work and history of important artists to people of all ages. The illustrations are colorful and will appeal to pre-readers and although the content is written for children, it is interesting enough to engage adult readers. The Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo was illustrated by Sandra Dieckmann and Kahlo's works are set into the gorgeous landscapes that cover each two-page fold. The facts included about Kahlo are selected to represent her life and the stages of her work and are perfect as discussion starters for art and expanded topics, such as emotional awareness, interpersonal interactions, and social activism. Brownridge was able to include a rich vocabulary and glossary of Frida Kahlo's most famous works. This book would be a perfect gift for a budding art lover or a seasoned art aficionado.

I've been intrigued by, nay, in love with Frida Kahlo ever since I first heard of her. She's something of an enigma. I'm a lot more a fan of hers than I am of her art as it happens - not that there's anything wrong with her art. I find her work evocative, and some of her most moving paintings are featured here as modest reproductions. Many of her works are like mini biographies - the equivalent of what today, with always-on instant communication, are called 'status updates'. She went through two different hells as a child and a teenager: first suffering polio, and then a pelvis-breaking tram accident which left her in pain for the rest of her life.

This didn't stop her from painting and painting and painting. In fact one could argue that the accident, which left her in bed for some time, unable to do anything much other than read and paint using a special easel her father made for her, triggered her advance into art. Her meeting renowned painter Diego Rivera gave her another push. He liked her work and liked her and eventually they married, but the marriage wasn't always a happy one. This book wisely doesn't go into that. While it does talk of her polio and the accident, it otherwise paints a rosy picture of her too-brief life, written in short, clear bursts and eminently suitable for a younger child to read. Kudos to Lucy Brownridge for getting it right.

And talking of art, Sandra Dieckmann paints us a fine visual picture on every page: colorful and playful, serious but not staid, and very endearing. I already knew lots about the artist (Kahlo, not Dieckmann!) having read at least four other books, including children's books about her, or about art that mention her, yet I still found this one engaging, fresh, and entertaining, and I commend it as a worthy read. Let Frida Ring!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Good introductory illustrated biography into the life of a complicated artist. The fact that the illustrator made the illustrations feel similar in style to the painter’s paintings was a very smart move. It allows the young reader to feel immersed into the style of the artist as they learn about them. This was done for this whole series of Portraits of a Life and its a very strong move.

I appreciated the explanation of art history terms inserted into the flow of the story. It allows for learning as one reads which is great for kids.

Frida Kahlo is a favorite artist of mine and I know more than the average person about her and her life. I was still able to enjoy this book so much by imagining how a younger reader would be delighted to read and learn as they went. Super successful in reaching multiple audiences or at least making it fun for adults to read to younger audiences.

Having had to dismiss the van Gogh entrant to this series for just getting too much factually wrong, it's brilliant to say this volume nails its subject. It shows Frida doing a lot more than just the painting that was pretty much all Vincent did, but we still get to see real images of her finished portraits and other artworks at relevant times. What we do see perfectly lines up with her life story – her in bed struggling to work through the pain of polio and her injuries to paint on an easel propped across her legs, meeting Diego Rivera, marrying him, watching him hard at work in the USA she found herself leaving alone… All the while relevant art is appropriately hung within the image, and we are told at the book's close about each Kahlo piece that we spotted decorating the very story of Kahlo herself. It's such a simple and obvious format, but I don't remember seeing it being done before. The designs by the book's creators are once again totally in keeping and in style with the subject's oeuvre. And as a primer to the subject, this is perfectly judged.

What's not to love? Beautiful illustrations, and the story of Frida Kahlo written in a way that is engaging and inspiring to young readers. My 5 year old loves reading about inspirational women and I know we'll be adding this book to our collection when it's published!

"Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo" is a great introduction to Kahlo for picture book readers. It covers her life and works well.

A lovely consideration to celebrate a notable artist’s life. The book presents information in an accessible and inviting way. I would gladly add this to my shelf, along with others from this series. These are very attractive texts.