Frida

This is very dark material for a picture book for young children. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), whose work is being exhibited at Tate Modern until October, was a Mexican artist with a tragic personal story. Stricken with polio aged 7, Frida then had the misfortune to be horribly injured in a tram/bus accident aged 18. Frida drew as therapy after having polio and after the near fatal accident Frida began painting. She suffered the physical consequences of the traffic accident for the rest of her life. This strikingly illustrated book is the story of her life. Frida Kahlo’s work is often very disturbing. Many of the paintings on display at the Tate would be most unsuitable for a young child to be studying.

There is also a strange reference to Frida Kahlo’s marriage to Diego Rivera, about whom Winter has written a separate book (Diego, illustrated by the author’s mother Jeanette Winter). In a note at the back of the book Winter describes their marriage as one of the most famous of the twentieth century and that their love for one another was very intense. The fact that Kahlo was mentally abused by Rivera throughout their marriage seems to be glossed over somewhat.