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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Bayport Public Library | Q J 921 RIVERA | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | SPA J 921 RIVERA | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"When most people think of my father, Diego Rivera, they think of him as a famous painter... His hard work, dedication, and talent taught me that if you work hard at your passion, you can achieve your dreams." Guadalupe Rivera Mar#65533;n had a very unusual childhood, growing up among world famous artwork. Her pap#65533;, Diego Rivera, was a larger-than-life figure who created unforgettable images of working people, of life in Mexico, of industrial machines and flowers. But Diego Rivera also loved to paint children, and you'll find them inside the pages of this book, along with lessons and wisdom he passed along to his eldest daughter. Guadalupe Rivera Mar#65533;n shares some of her childhood memories of the world-renowned artist who also happened to be her pap#65533;. Her recollections are tender, humorous, and unexpected. This intimate artistic portrait will delight readers, from the youngest art lovers to Diego Rivera's biggest fans.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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 FermIn ("The story of FermIn 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, "Sueno 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 6-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) This bilingual tribute written by Diego Rivera's daughter portrays the almost mythical figure in a new light; he was not only a famous man, he was also a papa. Marin pairs thirteen of her father's paintings with a brief first-person text, presented on each spread in English, then in Spanish. Her personal insight is conveyed in both languages without distracting flourishes; she lets her father's work speak for itself. For the painting "El hogar tan querido -- Fin del corrido" ("Beloved Home") Marn explains the cozy domestic scene of a woman bent over her sewing and children studying and then offers that "as I got older I discovered that I loved to read...I decided I too would write books one day." Rivera's stunning yet earthy art seems made for young viewers, and its accessibility is heightened by the striking design. Each painting is set against a flattering, bright backdrop, and complementary motifs accent the text. End matter contains more information about each painting and the handful of black-and-white archival photographs included. Readers will want to linger over Rivera's mural reproduced on the inside covers, trying to find the young Rivera with frogs and snakes in his bolsillos (pockets). From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
As in good museum exhibitions that are geared to younger viewers, this bilingual picture-book biography focuses on stories. Thirteen works by the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera are each accompanied by an explanatory paragraph in which his daughter shares her own recollections of the artworks' creation, meaning, and relation to familiar typical experiences, and each English passage is followed by one in Spanish. In the text accompanying the painting Picos with an Orange / Picos con naranja, for example, Marín explains that she is the child in the painting; her father gave her fruit to help her sit still and then became annoyed when she finished the orange before he finished the painting. The format follows a somewhat thematic arrangement that covers friendship, school, holidays, and family, and the reproductions, which are sometimes just details of larger works, are clear. There is no straight biographical information on Rivera here, but that can be found in other titles. What is so special is the personal introduction to Rivera's art and some of Mexico's cultural traditions.--Medlar, Andrew Copyright 2009 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-In this beautiful bilingual picture book, Diego Rivera's daughter has brought together 14 of her father's 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 artist's 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 Winter's Diego (Knopf, 1991), which chronicles the artist's early life.-Angelica G. Fortin, San Diego County Library, Spring Valley, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A wonderfully unexpected and delightfully accessible personal appreciation of a famous, larger-than-life man, artist and loving father as told by the daughter who now safeguards his works and legacy. Especially notable for its feel of precious family oral history, the author's simple responses to each of Rivera's works are recounted with pleasing, slice-of life warmth and affecting familiarity. While this may not suffice for those who seek a simple, by-the-numbers biography, these considered pairings of Rivera's striking, powerful work with his daughter's childlike voice and memories are a potent combination. Daughter Guadalupe succeeds in pointing out the perfect, child-pleasing details of each painting and delicately limns an ordinary/extraordinary childhood, as Papa Diego was a prodigious artist with powerful impact both within his native Mexico and among social realist painters worldwide. This book serves as a superior introduction to that work and career. The helpful and involving backmatter is particularly well constructed and informed, and family photos add intimacy and intensity. Handsome, engaging and deeply affecting. (Picture book/biography. 6 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
