My Papa Diego and Me: Mi Papa Diego y Yo (Bilingual English/Spanish)

Through bilingual commentaries on 13 of Rivera's paintings, the artist's daughter provides an anecdotal portrait of her childhood with her father. All of the works feature children and will give readers a sense of Rivera's range as an artist. Several are portraits of the author, and they frequently depict domestic scenarios and Mexican traditions. One novel inclusion is Rivera's cover illustration for the book "Fermín" (The story of Fermín was very important to my father. He wanted to show that all children, even those who grow up with very little, can become leaders); another is a mural he created for the Secretariat of Public Education in Mexico, which portrays conditions that presaged the Mexican Revolution. The visual showstopper, however, is the detail from Rivera's sprawling mural, Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda, on the endpapers, a surreal vision of city life that features a cameo by the artist as a boy, a frog and snake peeking out from his pockets. The personalities of father and daughter alike, as well as the vibrancy of Mexican culture, shine brightly in this personal, insightful book. Ages 6up. "(Sept.)" Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 2-5In this beautiful bilingual picture book, Diego Riveras daughter has brought together 14 of her fathers original works with a focus on those depicting children. Each well-reproduced painting is accompanied by a brief discussion describing the historical or cultural details of the time. The author also weaves in her own memories and those of her father, making the book personal yet accessible. The anecdotal nature of the biographical information will help readers form an understanding of the artists beliefs and motivations rather than provide detailed events of his life. An introduction and short endnotes give more concrete facts. However, readers looking for more traditional biographies would be better served by Jonah Winters "Diego" (Knopf, 1991), which chronicles the artists early life."Angelica G. Fortin, San Diego County Library, Spring Valley, CA" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.