Me, Frida

Novesky, A. (2010). Me, frida. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

 

Pura Belpre Honor Book for Illustration, 2011 

Exposition (the beginning of the story, establishment of setting and characters):  This story begins in Coyoacan, Mexico in 1931 as Frida Kahlo, wife of the famous artist Diego Rivera, prepares to leave her home to go to San Francisco so that her husband can work on a mural of the city.

Conflict (the problem(s) faced by the characters):   Frida, always hidden in the shadows of her famous husband, struggles to find her identity in a new place.

Rising Action (events in the story leading up to the climax):   Frida follows Diego as he studies the hills, skyscrapers, orchards, oil derricks, gold mines, and redwood groves of the city he is painting; even though Diego loves the new city, Frida feels restless, lonely, and very far away from home, and when she finally decides to explore the city on her on, she feels larger than life and proclaims, “Me, Frida!” (Novesky, 2010).    

Climax (the culmination of events in the story, point of highest reader interest):  While at a party, feeling unnoticed and tired of being quiet, Frida begins to sing Mexican folk songs, and everyone took notice of how marvelous she was, especially Diego.

Falling Action (events leading to the solving of the story’s problems):  After the party, Frida paints a wedding portrait of herself and Diego, depicting Diego as large and herself as small, just as the world saw them.

Resolution (how events and problems of the story are solved): Frida’s painting, Frieda and Diego Rivera, went on to be featured in the Sixth Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women Artists, and Frida no longer faded into the background; instead, she walked proudly, and people stopped to stare at her in wonder.

Picture books only (Was this a well illustrated book? Describe how it was or was not well-illustrated in 3 sentences.):  David Diaz illustrates striking paintings to accompany this wonderful story.  Each illustration is filled with bold, rich colors, capturing the essence of Frida’s culture.   As Frida finds herself, Diaz moves her into the foreground of each picture, which accurately reflects the journey she is experiencing in discovering herself and following her dreams.