Frida Kahlo. Pintó su vida. (Frida Kahlo: She Painted her Life)

By staff -- Críticas, 10/15/2007

REVIEWED WITH:
Roberto Clemente. Heroe del beisbol.
(Roberto Clemente. A Baseball Hero)
Guzmán, Lila and Rick.
U.S.: Enslow Elementary (Latinos Famosos): Enslow. 2008. 32p. glossary. index. photogs. ISBN 978-0-7660-2675-9. LBD. $22.60.

César Chávez. La lucha por lo justo.
(César Chávez. Fighting for Fairness)
Guzmán, Lila and Rick.
U.S.: Enslow Elementary (Latinos Famosos): Enslow. 2008. 32p. glossary. index. photogs. ISBN 978-0-7660-2679-7. LBD. $22.60.

Gr 3-4–These captivating biographies give young readers a glimpse into the life of famous personalities. Frida Kahlo describes the artist’s childhood, her suffering of polio, the famous accident, and her relationship with Diego Rivera. The text also explains the circumstances behind some of her most famous paintings, including “Mi vestido cuelga allí” (My Dress Hangs There), in which the artist expressed her feelings for New York City, and “Autorretrato con pelo cortado” (Self-portrait with Cropped Hair) which she painted right after her divorce. Roberto Clemente follows the athlete’s humble childhood in Puerto Rico, his start in the Brooklyn Dodgers, his life in segregated Pittsburgh, major achievements, and dedication to helping his community. César Chávez explains the daily life of migrant workers in the 1920’s and how the young fruit picker became the political leader and founder of the United Farms Workers. In the three titles, the carefully edited texts give enough details to capture the young readers’ imagination: Frida owned a monkey and she liked to wear traditional Mexican outfits; Clemente had to overcome the constant back pain from a bad car accident; and Chávez’s sister stop attending school because she had no shoes. In all titles, compelling photographs illustrate the life of the featured subjects since childhood. Other titles in the series include: Ellen Ochoa. La primera astronauta latina (Ellen Ochoa. First Latina Astronaut), George Lopez. Comediante y estrella de TV (George Lopez: Comedian and TV Star), and Diego Rivera. Artista de Mexico (Diego Rivera: Mexican Artist.). Ideal for Hispanic Heritage Month, these titles are excellent choices for school and public libraries.—Ximena Diego, Críticas, NY