The Story of Frida Kahlo: A Biography Book for New Readers: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers

The Story Of: A Biography Series for New Readers

by Susan B. Katz

Discover the life of Frida Kahlo—a story about strength, creativity, and never giving up for kids ages 6 to 9Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous and celebrated artists who has ever lived. Before she made history with her beautiful paintings and brave spirit, she went through a life-changing accident that would have made many people want to give up. Instead, Frida fought to overcome her setbacks and follow her passions. In this Frida Kahlo children’s book, you’ll explore how Frida went from being a young girl in a small Mexican town to an artist who is beloved all around the world.

Independent reading—This Frida Kahlo biography is broken down into short chapters and simple language so kids 6 to 9 can read and learn on their own.Critical thinking—Kids will learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Frida's life, find definitions of new words, discussion questions, and more.A lasting legacy—Find out how Frida inspired the world with her unique and colorful paintings, as well as her strength of character.How will Frida’s creativity and can-do attitude inspire you?Discover activists, artists, athletes, and more from across history with the rest of the Story Of series, including famous figures Marie Curie, Selena Quintanilla, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, and Jane Goodall.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Art, History, Childrens, Family, Teaching

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2020

About the author

Susan B. Katz is an award-winning, Spanish-bilingual author/illustrator with Scholastic, Penguin Random House, S&S, Bala Kids, Heinemann, Callisto/Rockridge and Barefoot Books. She has ten published books, one of which she wrote in Spanish for Scholastic, and 12 more books coming out in 2020/2021 with Simon & Schuster, Heinemann and Rockridge Press! MEDITATION STATION, a picture book about trains and mindfulness, is forthcoming with Bala Books (Shambhala) this fall and just won the International Book Award for Best Mind/Body/Spirit Children’s Book. Susan also has eight chapter book biographies due out in 2020/2021. THE STORY OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG, THE STORY OF FRIDA KAHLO and THE STORY OF JANE GOODALL are the first three titles in that series. For the past 25 years, Ms. Katz worked as a bilingual elementary educator, National Board Certified Teacher and literacy specialist. Her website is: www.SusanKatzBooks.com

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this children's biography of Frida and highly recommend it.  Kids will really get to know her as a child, as a woman, and as an artist.  The book has so many extras -- timelines, questions to ponder, a quiz at the end, and more -- and is written in a way that really makes you feel like you knew her and see why the world loved her and her art.  The illustrations are cheerful and colorful, and the book is just the right length to give kids lots of information while still being easy to finish.

What I love most is that we really get a feel for her struggles and the way she bloomed despite them, even attending her art show in her bed since doctors told her she couldn't leave her bed to attend it. Themes like bullying, isolation, grief and being different are touched on in ways that kids can relate to, with a very positive message that is inspirational without being preachy. Any child who has dealt with these issues (and who hasn't?) will relate to Frida and her story.

Highly, highly recommended.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frida was an interesting and inspiring person. This book was a fairly detailed one on her life. The author repeated herself and the redundancy grated. Otherwise, great book!

[Vicki Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good beginner book about Frida Kahlo. Some pictures of her art would have made it better though.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born with a birth defect, a polio victim as a child, her body smashed in a tragic accident, Frida Kahlo's indomitable spirit overcame everything that life had thrown at her. The eclipsed wife of a larger-than-life artist, those who knew them both believed she was the better artist.

Katz took on a big job in writing a children's book about a woman who contended with society, love, and the art world to reap world recognition in her brief 47 years.

Katz's Frida is vulnerable yet strong and young readers will find her life romantically tragic and inspirational.

The story of Frida's final exhibition is especially moving. A bed was brought into the exhibition hall so she could attend the opening days before her death.

The book focuses on the use of art as therapy, self-expression, and connecting to the female experience, showing how creativity can give us strength and a voice.

Katz includes teaching aids including a glossary, timelines, content questions, and discussion starters.

Ana Sanfelippo's colorful illustrations enrich the volume, bringing Frida's life alive to young readers.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is quite refreshing to see that they are now coming out with biography books made with a younger audience in mind. As a result this not opens younger readers and those learning how to read to new role models but also gives the reader a chance to learn about other people in other times and living in different circumstances than their own.

This particular book explores the life of Frida Kahlo by starting with where she was born, the problems that have plagued her childhood, the opportunity that came from those problems with her dad and of course so much more. The book is broken into specific small bite-size chapters that explore a specific timeframe, each chapter has an Explore Deeper question related to the chapter and also a part which gives the reader a few dates as well as their importance to the person of subject, which in this case is Frida Kahlo.

The information is easy to read, quite understandable and simple to follow. At the same time throughout the book and towards the end are major virtues provided that the reader may want to emulate such as with Frida she was persevering, embraced her cultural heritage even if it made her different from others and very confident. And I love that these virtues are brought to the light for those who need to see them since in these times when virtues are pushed aside as weaknesses.

Since this book was made for a younger audience in mind there were also some aspects of Frida's life that weren't included although for the older reader they may pick-up a suggestion. But for the information that was included there was also a quiz to test the reader's absorption of the information.

And finally the book has brightly colored beautiful illustrations that captures Frida in a bit of an animated format while at the same time providing maps to help showcase places that she's related with. This is replaced by actual photographs at the end with the quiz but I still would have also loved to have seen some of her actual paintings included as well like perhaps in a book gallery.

Taken altogether this was a great book to read and one that was quite enjoyable for its subject matter. I cannot wait to read some of the others as well.

**Please note I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

World renowned artist Frida Kahlo was born in a small town in Mexico in 1907. As a sickly child, bedridden from Polio, Frida's vivid creativity first expressed itself through stories she made up featuring an imaginary friend. As time went by, she began to bring her stories to life through colorful drawings. "The Story of Frida Kahlo: A Biography Book for New Readers", from author Susan B. Katz, gives readers insight into the life and times of a remarkable woman whose inner strength, vibrant spirit, and artistic talent still inspires others to this day. At age 15, Frida first met successful muralist Diego Rivera, who was almost 20 years her senior. Five years later, they would meet again, and despite a tempestuous relationship they would eventually marry, then divorce, and later remarry. Frida spent most of her life in physical pain--not only from the effects of the Polio, but also from the debilitating injuries she received in a serious automobile accident. However, Frida did not give into the pain--she worked around it. Her love of animals, nature, and her Mexican heritage was voiced through her art along with the sadness and loneliness she sometimes felt. Despite all of the obstacles she faced, she became a teacher and role model for others, and she broke many barriers for women artists and artists of Mexican heritage. Sadly, she passed away at the the age of 47 in her family home in Mexico. This book shows the important timeline of events in Frida's life, and it includes "think tank prompts", maps, a quiz, and a glossary. The brightly colored illustrations are a welcome reminder of the color and power of Frida Kahlo's own art.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This illustrated biography for young readers introduces Frida Kahlo's life and art, showing how she persevered through disability and health challenges to enjoy her life and create beautiful things. The illustrations are very colorful and inviting, and the emphasis on Kahlo's childhood will help kids connect with her instead of just viewing her as a famous adult artist.

This book is brief and well-paced, and packs in a lot of great information. I learned new things from it, and appreciate the careful way that the author handled difficult themes related to both Kahlo's physical disabilities and her sometimes tumultous marriage. Most children's books about Kahlo portray her husband as an adversary who she had to get past in order to succeed as a woman in a man's world, but this book honors her love for him while realistically portraying the conflict and difficulties that they faced.

Like the other books in this series, this installment includes a timeline and a glossary, discussion prompts, a quiz, and other fun features. This will be engaging for kids, and the book avoids mature topics. It does not address the multiple affairs that Kahlo and her husband both had with other people, and does not introduce the topic of Kahlo's bisexuality. The book is appropriate for the young audience it is intended for, and is a great introduction to this artist.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet biographical summary of Frida Kahlo! I learned a lot between these beautiful pages. The illustrations were well done. I appreciated the Spanish vocabulary and bold text words linking back to a glossary. The quiz at the end of book was an excellent choice as well.

I felt the book was jumpy quite a bit; however, I understand this is intended towards younger readers. Some of the wording and punctuation felt lower elementary. This will be a great book for 3rd-6th grade readers.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was a nice change of pace for a biography at an elementary level other than “Who Was?” books.

**Disclaimer: I received a free book from the publisher for me honest review**

[Ferbz CB · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's perfect to practice English to adults and perfect for the children, because it's short and easy to read.

[Selene Alvarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a biography that talks about the life of famous artist Frida Kahlo and I read it as an ebook on Kindle. It was recently publish in March 3, 2020 for children from 6 to 9 years old to read. The book talks about how Kahlo became an artist and the tragedies that happened in her life. She was a famous artist that would portray her emotions and thoughts onto her artwork. I rated the book 4 stars for several reasons. The book was written beautifully for children to read, understand and follow. It talks about her child hood, her accident that led her to painting and how she became a recognized painters. The illustrations in the book are full with vibrant colors, just like her art work, and appealing for children. I also liked how the author did not include Kahlo's original art work because some of it has nudity in it and not age appropriate for the audience that this book is aimed for. This is a good book for children to read as it has engaging inclusions in the book to keep the reading involved in the story. It is also a book full of inspiration that despite what life throws your way you cant let those things bring your shine down. However, being a Kahlo fan that I am I did not like how her and Diego Rivera's marriage was portrayed. In my opinion it was way to "lovey dovey" when in reality it was nothing like that. I feel like that part could of been told better and in a way that children can understand. Over all, the book is great and I would recommend to read.

[Jane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frida Kahlo's story is one that needs to be heard. Her life was short and her choices at times controversial but they never become an issue in this book that shows young readers how she overcame unbelievable odds and followed her heart to produce incredible artwork.. The reader learns how art was an escape for Kahlo. Katz takes the reader through the painful early and later years of Kahlo's life. The reader learns of Kahlo's polio and how her parents helped her to make the best of a bad situation. This was a lesson she carried with her through her life. It offers an excellent teachable moment for the classroom or for parents who will hopefully read this with their child. The 8 chapters: An Artist is Born, The Early Years, A Life Saved, World Travelers, Frida's Time to Shine, Fame Finds Frida, A Fighter Till the End, So..... Who was Frida Kahlo? and vibrant illustrations draw the young reader in.

This is a book I will recommend to teachers in grades 1 -3 wanting to show the power of art as a means of expression, as a means of escape and as a means of enpowerment. Although it is designed as a picture book for younger readers I also think it is valuable reading for students in middle and high school who are learning about different methods of using symbols in art to express one's beliefs and emotions.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second biography for young readers by this author that I have read.  It is a chapter book with appealing illustrations.

The book begins with some information about Mexico and the political unrest that existed when Frida was young.  Ms. Katz then goes on to engagingly tell Frida's life story.

The author presents an honest biography, noting the many challenges that Frida faced over her lifetime.  Some of these challenges were health related while others had to do with her relationship with Diego Rivera, another artist.  Ms. Katz notes the roles of Frida's love of animals, Casa Azul, imagination and art as coping mechanisms that served her well. 

The book includes sections called "Jump in the Think Tank."  These contain topics to think about and extend the reading experience.  There are also some myths vs facts, timelines, quotations and more.  The book concludes with a quiz that will help young readers to see if they have retained what they learned.

I highly recommend this title.  It deserves a place in school and home libraries.  The text and gorgeous illustrations complement one another beautifully.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Skyler Barksdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story of Frida Kahlo is a children's biography that tells the story of Frida Kahlo using vibrant illustrations. This book is intended for children ages 6-8 years. The story of Frida Kahlo discusses what her life was like before she became famous for her artwork. The author highlights the struggles the artist went through in an appropriate way for children to understand. The story emphasizes how brave and incredible she truly was by explaining her struggles. The theme of the book is that we can overcome our setbacks and attempt to follow our dreams and/or passions. With such heavy subject matter given Frida Kahlo's backstory, the author does an incredible job of keeping it age-appropriate for 6 - 8-year-olds to read. The story begins with Frida as a young girl all the way until she becomes one of the most well-known painters in the world. I think this would be a great book to have in K-2nd grade. Teachers could use this well-discussing passions/dreams along with the challenges that may come with it. I think the illustrations are absolutely beautiful and eliminate Frida's own art style pretty well, for still being a children's biography.

[Renee Knoblauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember learning about Frido Kahlo several years ago. My kids learned about her with some cultural art. She was an intriguing artist in her day and some of her art is interesting with portraits and self portraits. She didn’t hold back showing the reality of life.

The story talks about her childhood, women, and her life as an artist. The book has timelines, questions throughout, and even a quiz at the end.

The book has colorful illustrations throughout. The book doesn’t shy away from her inner conflicts which are expressed in her art. I didn’t see any of her art in the book except an illustration of her painting a picture and maybe a blurb in the background. Just a forewarning if you want to look up the art a warning as a parent: look it up by yourself first if there are not images you want your child to see. Not all of her art is shocking but a few some parents may want to censor first.

I received a copy of this product from Callisto Publisher's in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

An excellent biography for young readers. A great place to start for those learning about Kahlo, famous artists, or anyone who enjoys reading about strong women throughout history.

The book covers some of the major events in her life, such as her childhood with polio, meeting Diego Rivera and other artists, the infamous bus accident, and her career painting and teaching.

Complete with reading questions throughout to help connect reader's experiences with what they read and beautiful, full-color illustrations, this is an engaging and informative read. Also contains breakout boxes including important dates, a general map of places mentioned, and Myth & Fact sections.

At the end is a short quiz, additional critical thinking questions, and a glossary of bolded terms throughout the book.

The book is a manageable size but still contains a wealth of information. The artwork is absolutely stunning and nicely breaks up the text. A good biography series for young readers.

[Octopodey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable book for young readers, to either introduce them to or to learn more about Frida Kahlo. It gives a good background of her youth, her family, her illnesses and injuries, her marriage, and of course her art. It covered fairly complex topics for a relatively short book aimed at a young audience.

I enjoyed the artwork in the book. I realize that the book probably did not have permissions to reproduce her artwork, but it is frustrating to read about so many specific paintings without having them available to view. I also felt everyone was portrayed as very white, even in the scene portraying the 1953 exhibition of her work in Mexico City. My 3-year-old looked at the picture and said "do those people have white skin or brown skin?" because she's very interested in the topic right now, and I was like, "huh. everyone *looks like* they have white skin, which seems wrong." So that's my only real complaint with the book and why it's 4 stars instead of 5.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Callisto Media, and Rockridge Press for the early review copy!

This is my second Katz “Biography Book for New Readers,” and it definitely won’t be my last. Illustration, maps, timelines, diagrams, and reading comprehension questions encourage the reader’s engagement with the text. These elements break up the chapters nicely and give new readers the experience with these elements as well, which will help them with future textbooks and exercises in school.

Frida had a difficult life and made beautiful art through her pain. Speaking of art, I love the art in this book! It’s so whimsical and cute. This book is an excellent bridge from picture books to larger, longer chapter books, and I can’t wait to recommend the books in this series to my young patrons at the library.

This one is out next week, so don’t sleep on it. Check it out for the young reader in your life, or you know, for yourself if you need some interesting, cute nonfiction in your life.

[Kristy Weldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received a free copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Story of Frida Kahlo by Susan B. Katz is a wonderful introduction with fun illustrations for young readers. The book is written in a way that is easy for young readers to understand. I do feel it can be enjoyed by older readers as well. It follows her life from birth to death. There are simple timelines that follow the story and discussion questions throughout the book. The author has a glossary at the end of the book where readers can find the definitions for the more difficult words found in bold print throughout the story. There is also a great discussion quiz at the end of the book. This is a fun and enjoyable book.

Thank you to Callisto Publisher's Club and Rockridge Press for the opportunity to read and review this book..

Juvenile Nonfiction/Biography
Ages: 6-8
Pages: 62
Release Date: March 3, 2020

[Jeanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.

Frida Kahlo was an accomplished artist. Her art reflected her reality. Sick from polio as a young child and having recovered from a terrible accident later in life, she has come from terrible circumstances. It was painting that gave her life and purpose. Her biography is reflective and somber as she has had many personal obstacles as well. But thru her obstacles, she has had many successes.

She was a very unique woman in how she overcome. A challenging read for young readers to reflect on how Frida overcame her obstacles, the personality that it took to fight, and how she used success to teach others.

A Special Thank you to Rockridge Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy to read so I can give my own honest opinion.

I thought this was such a beautiful and great biography of Frida Kahlo. I think this will be a great children's biography and series for kids to start learning about people through out history. I love the artwork, the quotes, and questions given through out the book. This might even be great for schools to use for kids who want to learn and have great pictures to look at. I also like the quiz in the back of the books. Frida was such a colorful woman and her art helped change the world for the better. She taught kids not only how to paint, but paint with a passion and never give up on themselves when you find yourself in a dark place.

[Jennie Seaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little biography of Frida Kahlo. I didn’t know much about her going into this book so this was a nice introduction to her story. I really want to read more about her now. I think this was a cute way for children to learn about her. I liked the timelines and the myth vs. fact boxes. I also really liked the glossary and the quiz in the back of the book. I do wish there were maybe images of the paintings referenced so that the reader can know what is being talked about. I had to keep looking them up, which I totally don’t mind doing, but it might be easier for the children to have the images in the book. I really want to read more of these books so I’ll be looking for them!

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second biography I have read by Susan Katz, and loved this one as well as the one on Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The book is set in very short chapters, and points out how things have changed since Frida was a live, including how unusual it was to have a woman become as famous as she did at the time.

I only wish more of her paintings could have been shown, although the illustrations do hint at them. Unlike Ginsburg, it helps to see what is being referred to in the writing.

I liked the thinking points, and I think this is a good early reader book to get kids interested in this artist.

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

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of a fun series of biographies aimed at beginning readers. I'm really enjoying this series- the information is interesting, inspiring, and age-appropriate, and there are engaging inclusions in the text to keep the reader involved, such as discussion questions, timelines, and a quiz and glossary at the end to enhance comprehension. The illustrations are bright and detailed, and go well with the text. Frida was a remarkable woman and role model, and I found her story particularly moving because of the physical pain and illnesses she endured, all while breaking ground for female artists everywhere.

#TheStoryofFridaKahlo #NetGalley

[Autumn Corbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story of Frida Kahlo is a nonfiction biography book that reflects the life of Frida Kahlo. I loved how informative this book was and I learned many interesting facts. I had no idea how many hardships Frida Kahlo faced in her lifetime and it was refreshing to learn more about her life than just her work. I think that this book poses a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about different experiences from their own and gain a sense of empathy. I really enjoyed the utilization of tools such as as a glossary, timeline, and questions to spark a discussion. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think that students would as well!

[Angie Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frida Kahlo

I’ve admired Frida Kahlo for many, many years. When I came across this biography I picked it up because it was about Frida and also the amazing cover art.

It has been a very long time since I read a biography for a child. I must say I did enjoy this book and every chapter ended with a question to engage the reader and examine their life. It also listed key facts from each chapter and how it pertains to the reader’s life.

Overall I was impressed with this book. The writer and illustrator captured the essence of Frida. I would totally buy this book if you have a child 7 years or older. It’s one book in a series of 50.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great biography of Frida Kahlo aimed at readers of all ages (though targeted at younger readers)! I had heard her name before but hadn't known what made her so famous, so this was a delight to read! It's remarkable that not only did she overcome polio to go on to become a world-famous artist, but she continued to paint AND host a gallery from her bed!

Recommended for aspiring artists, especially younger artists, who may feel discouraged by some circumstance or other. Being able to do what she loved despite her illness and disabilities made Kahlo an inspiration to overcoming adversity!

[Julie A]

Loved the colorful illustrations! It was a beautifully illustrated book accounting the life of Frida Kahlo. It detailed her life from when she was a young girl in a Mexican town to being one of the most well-known painters in history, It was interesting to learn that she had many serious health challenges, she survived Polio and was in a serious car accident that resulted in many surgeries on her legs.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd want to read a few more books in the series to make a final opinion about it, but I wasn't a fan of the trajectory of the book. The timelines were misplaced in the arching story and the thinking questions served as a distraction to the beautiful artwork and biography itself.

I felt constantly interrupted by the additional text features!

Otherwise, I can't ever get enough of learning tidbits about Kahlo's life and her mark on art and history.

[Charlotte Tito · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: “The Story of Frida Kahlo” by Susan B. Katz 🎨 I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback 🎨 I’m so excited to be able to give even more high praise to Susan B. Katz for her biography on Frida Kahlo! Another must have for my classroom! This book also contained engaging questions and a quiz at the end. I loved the illustrations once again and had some amazing information about such a unique and iconic artist.

[SOMDReigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colorful and engaging children's biography book. Covers Frida’s life from childhood until her death. You get a feel of who she was and what her life was like. Provides interesting details and insights into her life. She faced many challenges in life. The biography stresses Frida’s passions and strengths. Colorful throughout, timelines, think boxes, a good length read, and a fun quiz at the end.