Library of Luminaries: Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography

By Zena Alkayat and Nina Cosford

Step into the world of one of history's most celebrated artists and feminist icons: Frida Kahlo. This beautifully illustrated biography is full of colorful details that illuminate the woman behind the artwork, including excerpts from Kahlo's personal letters and diaries on her childhood dreams of becoming a doctor, the accident that changed the course of her life, and her love affairs with famous artists. Featuring handwritten text alongside lovely illustrations, Library of Luminaries: Frida Kahlo provides a captivating window into the vibrant life, work, and creative vision of the beloved Mexican artist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781452162102

Book preview

Reviews for Library of Luminaries

[michaelg16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Having read and very much enjoyed this book on a recent trip to New York, I promptly gave it to the very bright five-year old child of the friends I was staying with. She usually ignores such gifts but this time she scooped it up and read it to herself right away and then insisted on reading it to us. She was completely taken by the book and more importantly by Kahlo. Trips to the museums followed I am happy to say!

[paperbackpirate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a cute little picture book biography about Frida Kahlo. Even though I feel like I know the basics about "one of history's most celebrated artists and feminist icons," I still read a few new Frida facts. I was surprised that it did not contain any of Frida Kahlo's artwork, but it was fun to see Nina Cosford's interpretations instead. I have always thought of Frida's life through her autobiographical artwork and from her perspective. It was interesting to look at her through another artist's eyes. The illustrations of Frida's tragic life story seem whimsical in this book. I liked thinking about Frida in a joyous way. One of my favorites was "Frida's Wardrobe," which I'm pretty sure made me giggle. I've never imagined Frida packing before. Thank you.

[greggchadwick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography" by Zena Alkayat, with luminous illustrations by Nina Cosford, is a delightful introduction to the art and life of the visionary Mexican painter. Written as a sort of biographical appetizer with just enough flavor to whet the appetite, Cosford's small volume entices and beguiles. Akin to a travel guide, "Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Biography" opens a path of understanding towards Frida's artistic, political, gender, and sexual explorations. Cosford's colorful and engaging pictures help lead us on this path. I only wish that at the end of the journey, we would find at least one photographic reproduction of Frida's own artworks.

[bale_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This illustrated biography of the Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, is nicely designed and made with good quality materials. Unfortunately, it does not contain any pictures of her paintings. This baffles me. How can one publish a biography about Frida Kahlo without showing her work; they are intricately connected. It simply does not make any sense, especially since she is known for her autobiographical self-portraits. It is difficult to recommend an essentially incomplete biography no matter how concise the intention.

[mabith_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a sweet little baby biography of Frida Kahlo with really lovely illustrations, by Nina Cosford, throughout. It touches on some of the things that are frequently left out of short 'inspiration' pieces (her politics, her bisexuality). A great little book, good for middle grades and up, I think. It's also just a pretty object. A row of the other titles in this series would be very pleasant for a guest bedroom and would make a great gift.I do think that there should have been at least one print of a Kahlo painting. There's a bit of one but it's Cosford's take on it. One or two Kahlo prints at the beginning and end would have added something.

[janeslist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It is a small biography of Frida Kahlo with watercolor illustrations, and it is delightful. I felt like despite the short length, the book was able to give me a peek into the character of this artist so that I could get to know her a bit better. My Ma-in-law, who is a huge fan of Kahlo, really liked the book too and said she only wished it had Kahlo's art in it because it made her want to look at the pictures. This book is not particularly aimed at children, as it includes her tragic accident and her lovers. But it was a true portrait of a real person and I would say that it's fine for late middle school and up.