Diego: Bigger Than Life Hardcover – March 1, 2009

The vibrant illustrations look targeted for children ages 4 - 8 so why is the text geared toward teenagers? The text covers social issues, the death of his twin at agetwo, his doubts on taking money for his education from the corrupt government he hated, his relationships with the women in his life wed and unwed, Soviet revolutionary Trotsky and Mexican bandit and revolutionary Zapata, the birth and death of his son, assassinations and mass transit terrorism, etc.A Children's book? Not exactly - Rivera wasn't the best human, not even close. Do we really want young children to know that a highly regarded artist told the mother of his child that if the child cried he would throw the child out the window? The text would be excellent for children 13 and up but I can't see them reading this because it visually looks like it is for children 9 and under. I figured out the best audience would be adult education learning English.The pictures are GORGEOUS. The artwork captured the warmth and the vibrance of Rivera and his native Mexico. Each page has a beautiful picture and prose poetry that tell the story of the artist's life. . It's just unfortunate that there are only 4 depictions of Rivera's work stretching from 1914 to 1957.The book also offers a Biography one of the world's greatest artists of the 20th century including:* chronological index; * glossary;* notes;* quotes;* sources

I have learned enough about the life of Diego Rivera to have been surprised to see a children's picture book published about him given his unconventional personal life. Picture books are usually marketed to children aged 4-8 but this book has been flagged by the publisher as appropriate for ages 9 and up. (This does not mean it will be filed correctly in the public library or that parents or teachers will not mistakenly read this to kids under 9.) Some high schoolers do not understand enough about communism or know anything about the Mexican communist movement, or about Russia's Leo Trotsky to put Rivera's art and politics in his art into context, and children aged down to nine will have an even harder time.As a homeschooling mother and a person who loves art and enjoys learning about art I have exposed my children to (age appropriate) art history and look forward to more art history books being published for children.Some people criticize children's history books for sugar coating or glossing by reality in order to "whitewash" the biography to be age appropriate or to remove controversy and to praise the person. This is usually done lately in America about US History's "dead white men" and even to complain about accomplished men who deserve praise about some thing(s) they did while also doing things that today we disapprove of. Well in this case the story of Diego Rivera has been whitewashed to be positive and to try to make it age appropriate for children, specifically his relationships, bearing a child out of wedlock, et cetera. The book is of course praising Rivera and readers may carry that positive tone through to receive a positive message about his communist beliefs. Do you want your children to receive a positive message about communism (when they probably don't even know what it is)?Now that I've brought up those issues I'll put them to the side to get on with the review.The book opens stating that Diego Rivera was a storyteller about his own life, and the story told is a blend of Rivera's stories and facts. The style is told in free verse poems with a page per poem. In this way the book is able to move through his entire lifespan in a short book length. I enjoyed these poems and think that children will enjoy them as well.In the main portion of the book the details of the relationships such as living together and bearing a child out of wedlock are glossed over. I noticed them since I already knew about these things and was looking to see how they'd be written about. Marriage is not mentioned so kids may assume they were married when they were not. Young kids may not pick up on the detail. I know some parents may have different values than Rivera did and may not like these things, but then again the book is not advised for children under age 9 (but since usually picture books are for 4-8 people may pick it up for kids those age).Diego Rivera was a political person, a communist, and his art and choices as to which art he would make and why were entangled with politics. As I said above these issues may confuse kids or perhaps they will gloss over it and not care that they don't understand it, I don't know. In any event some parents who disagree with communism may not like the communist views discussed without any judgment, in a book with a positive tone, the child may assume that communism is therefore something praiseworthy. I doubt that kids aged 9-13 exposed to this book in school would also receive instruction in communism, Mexican and Russian communism, in order to put this information into context. Certainly if a parent reads this book to their child, they could choose to discuss it in more detail, framing it with their family's values. As to what would happen in a school classroom, I will not speculate.At the back of the book is a section written in more adult language that tells "the facts" of Diego Rivera's life. Here some details are shared that make the relationship and political details clear. There is a glossary of terms. There is a timeline of his life also. I was disappointed that the murals discussed in the book were not shown; it would have made a bigger impact.The artwork is done with airbrush painting. At first I thought it odd that a relatively new painting technique would be used but then it dawned on me that Rivera's most famous work was done in murals on streets, art seen by the masses as they pass by on the street. Today there are few murals in the United States yet we have plenty of graffiti on our city walls and bridges. Therefore the choice to use airbrush painting references street art: today's street art. Bravo David Diaz! I loved the paintings, although they were positive, light and uplifting even when the content on the page was serious or contained bad news (such as a child dying).I am torn about how to rate this book. My personal anti-communist views and my fear that the book could be used as pro-communist propaganda taints the praise for other parts of the book. Further making the decision difficult is the fact that so few books exist for children about the life of Diego Rivera. If there were other better books it would be easier to discount this one.I rate this book 3 stars = It's Okay due to the content and lack of showing more of Diego Rivera's artwork.

I loved this book because he described himself in his poetry and then at the end, there was biographical data to back up the poetry. He told his beliefs in politics and made a difference in the world around him with his art. I never realized the impact that art could have on society.

The publisher says this book is for ages 9 and up, but a lot of Diego's story - including portions included in this book - are a bit more PG-13. I think this book could maybe be a good supplement in a high school art or history class, but then it might not work because some portions are more childish. The discussion of lovers, complex and somewhat radical political beliefs, and flippant attitudes toward people (threatening to throw a child out the window?) all make me surprised that this book received awards as a children's book.It's not a children's book, and it shouldn't be marketed as such. As an adult, I found it interesting, but the confusion about the intended audience was a constant distraction for me, so I'm not a fan.

The writing was very informative and the art work was beautiful. I think it does a great job exposing the reader to Diego.

This book seems to struggle to find the appropriate audience. The pictures are lovely and make one think it would be appropriate for young children. It's not. The presentation, in what looks like a poem on each page, is verse that tells a story. This makes it accessible, and in an attractive way. However, the content of the verse is mature and focuses on poor relationships, going from one women to another, instead of focusing on art. This may all have been part of Diego's life, and I don't think it needs to be whitewashed. But I do question making it the focus in a book aimed at children. On page 20, he says to his pregnant wife, "If the child disturbs me, I'll throw it out the window." On the same page, the baby dies, due to a lack of food, firewood and coal, as a result of Diego's inability to support his family (at age 31) during the war. He cried, then left her.The content is more appropriate for middle school or high school, and guided by an adult that can lead the appropriate discussions on character, good vs evil, war, gender, death, infidelity, love and other deep and sometimes dark themes. I would have liked for there to be more of an appreciation of his art to be gained together with the discussion of all of these difficult themes.