Frida Kahlo
(Great Lives in Graphics)

Gr 4-8--The lives of three of history's geniuses are explored in these highly visual offerings. From birth to death, noteworthy events in their professional and personal lives are presented. Frida Kahlo was an acclaimed artist from Mexico with physical disabilities. Wolfgang Mozart was a prodigy who created brilliant music before dying at an early age. Nikolai Tesla was instrumental in the early development of electricity for practical use. Each biography is comprehensive, and in what some may consider timely, the titles on Kahlo and Mozart point out how modern vaccines for polio and smallpox have eradicated those diseases. The narratives are presented in graphic form: bright pictures and inserts with snippets of information and trivia dominate the pages next to paragraphs composed of small, dense text. Some will find much of this distracting, especially the nonlinear time lines that go down and then up. However, the bright, colorful illustrations will attract browsers, creating an excellent opportunity for those who might not otherwise choose biographies. VERDICT Though there are numerous biographies available on these subjects for this age group, the bright graphic style will find an audience for those seeking entertainment along with their research.--Margaret Nunes