Description

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Told in Spanish, this picture book celebrates one of the world’s most influential painters, Frida Kahlo, and the animals that inspired her art and life.

Una visio´n u´nica de Frida Khalo –de su vida extraordinaria y sus mascotas- por la reconocida autora Mo´nica Brown y del ilustrador John Parra, recipiente de los premios Christopher y Golden Kite, asi´ como una mencio´n de Honor del Pura Belpre´.

Frida Kahlo y sus animalitos cuenta la vida de Frida – desde la infancia hasta su ascensio´n como una de las pintoras ma´s influyentes del mundo – captando la belleza y la fuerza del espi´ritu creador de Frida, que la mantuvo a trave´s de la tragedia y el triunfo, y de los animales que la inspiraron a lo largo del camino. Lo innovador del tema de Brown – juega con la idea de que Frida personifica las caracteri´sticas de sus amadas mascotas (dos monos, un loro, tres perros, dos pavos, un a´guila, un gato negro y un cervatillo) – emparejado con el arte de colores audaces de Parra, que nos recuerdan la paleta de la propia Frida, hacen de esta biografi´a una emotiva entrega llena de respuestas para los seguidores de Frida, nuevos y viejos.

Una Seleccio´n Junior Library Guild!

The fascinating Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. Her work brought attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and she is also renowned for her works celebrating the female form.

Monica Brown’s story recounts pivotal moments in Frida’s life and the beloved pets who comforted her along the way—two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a black cat, and a fawn—and playfully considers how Frida embodied many wonderful characteristics of each animal.

About the Author

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Monica Brown, PhD, is the award- winning author of Waiting for the Biblioburro/ Esperando el Biblioburro, Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/no combina, and the Lola Levine chapter book series, including Lola Levine Is Not Mean; Lola Levine, Drama Queen; and Lola Levine and the Ballet Scheme. She lives in Arizona with her family and teaches at Northern Arizona University. Find out more at www.monicabrown.net.

John Parra is an award-winning illustrator, designer, teacher, and fine art painter. His children’s books have earned many awards, including the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, ALA’s Pura Belpré Honors, the Christopher Award, the International Latino Book Award, and many more. In 2015 John was invited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to present a special event about his work and career in art and illustration; and in 2017 John’s art appeared on six Forever postal stamps from the USPS titled “Delicioso.” He lives with his wife, Maria, in Queens, New York. Find out more at: www.johnparraart.com

F. Isabel Campoy is the author of numerous children’s books in the areas of poetry, theatre, stories, biographies, and art. An internationally recognized scholar devoted to the study of language acquisition, a field in which she started publishing in l973 after obtaining her degree in English Philology from Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain; and post graduate work in Reading University in England, and UCLA in the United States. Her many accolades include ALA Notables, the San Francisco Library Award, the Reading the World Award from the University of San Francisco, the NABE Ramón Santiago Award, the International Latino Children’s Book Award, and nine Junior Library Guild selections. She is a member of the North American Academy of Spanish Language.

Praise For…

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With their folk-art sensibility, Parra’s elegant acrylic paintings evoke Kahlo’s style, her palette and her Mexican environment, but he creates a mood of harmony with the natural world and a lively, cheerful abundance all his own.
 
— New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books 2017

"Parra’s warm, weathered paintings are done in a flattened, folk-art style that vividly evokes the Mexican environment and “heritage of which she was very proud.'"
— Publishers Weekly

"Featuring charming visuals and lively, often lyrical prose, this picture book introduces Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, interweaving biographical details while highlighting her special relationships with pets...Rich-hued, folk art–style illustrations incorporate evocative touches, fanciful details, and collagelike compositions."
— Booklist

"Not the first Frida Kahlo picture book biography and certainly not the last, but maybe one of the most successful...Plus you get John Parra’s art as an extra bonus. That guy’s amazing."
— Betsy Bird

"This unique and gorgeous take on the famous figure’s work will give children an accessible entry point to an important artist. A good choice for picture book biography shelves."
— School Library Journal

"Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo's style and color palette."
— Kirkus Reviews