Winter, Jonah. Illustrated by Ana Juan. 2002. Frida. New York: Scholastic Press.

Jonah Winter has detailed the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in a beautiful picture book that will appeal not only to younger children, but to older ones and even adults who are interested in the art that transformed Kahlo’s life. In simple text, Winter describes the life of Kahlo from her birth in the town of Coyoacan in Mexico to her bout with polio at age 7 and the school bus accident that almost took her life at age 18. Throughout her life’s ordeals, Frida used art both to escape the constant pain that she felt, and to express emotions that she could not express herself. “Instead of crying, she paints pictures of herself crying.” The bright, color-drenched illustrations by Juan feature Mexican characters throughout the story. Frida Kahlo’s story will inspire hope in readers who see the world differently than their peers, and Juan’s artwork will keep this book open and studied for readers who, like Frida Kahlo, love to look at things very closely and see something new with each reading.