Amy Novesky recounts how Frida Kahlo came to paint the famous portrait titled Frida and Diego Rivera. Newly married, Frida and Diego moved to San Francisco, where Rivera had been invited to paint a mural. Frida feels timid and lonely; the trip marks her first time out of Mexico and she speaks only Spanish. But she begins exploring the city on her own, and when she sings Mexican folk songs at a party she becomes the center of attention. Gaining confidence, something opens up inside her and she is inspired to paint the wedding portrait of Diego and herself that was then featured at her first art show, the Sixth Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women Artists. David Diaz’s brilliant artwork colorfully portrays Frida and Diego’s life in San Francisco, while Novesky’s illuminating text gives readers both factual and emotional grounding in Frida’s breakthrough painting. (Ages 7–12)

Like a tiny bird in a big city, Frida Kahlo feels lost and lonely when she arrives in San Francisco with her husband, the famous artist Diego Rivera. But as Frida begins to explore San Francisco on her own, she discovers the inspiration she needs to become one of the most celebrated artists of all time. Me, Frida is an exhilarating true story that encourages children to believe in themselves so they can make their own dreams soar.