Diego

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

A charming, simply told account, in Spanish and English, of the life of Diego Rivera, the Mexican muralist whose art is said to cover more than two and a half miles of walls throughout Mexico and North America.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-- An accessible picture book about the life and work of Diego Rivera sounds like an oxymoron, but Winter and Winter succeed beyond belief. His early life is the focus; the text in Spanish and English captions the paintings. It does a journeyman's job of conveying facts in well-condensed sentences; the Spanish translation is clear and easy to follow even for those readers without fluency in the language. Each picture is bordered with Mexican folk-art designs done in vivid, resonant, tropical tones. The paintings themselves are done in Rivera's own colossal style, even though they actually measure only a few inches square. Winter displays her clear knowledge of and love for her subject. Frida Kahlo appears in one scene without any identification other than her distinctive eyebrows; this subtle allusion is the only mention of Rivera's tempestuous personal life. The last pictures show him as a young man, perched on his scaffolding, brushes in hand, beckoning viewers on with his ardent glance. Readers will wish they could follow. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX