The first book I read in October was
Frida A-Z: The Life of an Icon from Activism to Zapotec by Nadia Bailey with illustrations by Susanna Harrison. I got it for my birthday. It's a combination alphabet picture book and biography of Frida Kahlo, where each letter stands for something important in Frida's life. Neither author nor illustrator sounds like they're Mexican (they're both Australian), and this is usually a point of concern for me. There are a lot of (white) women who love Frida Kahlo, but they often don't see past the flower crowns (which she never wore) or the pretty dresses. I feel like latinx women, especially Mexican women, are the ones who best understand what makes Frida so important and special. However, Bailey did her research, and the book did not seem surface-level at all. I actually learned a few new things from this book. When it comes to Harrison's art, however, it was lovely, but she made Frida too pink. Frida's father was German and her mother was of Spanish and indigenous descent, but she was nowhere near that level of white. Clearly Harrison chose the trendy tropical millennial pink aesthetic over actually capturing what Frida looked like (we have so many pictures of her, you guys), and in the process accidentally whitewashed her. Another drawback was that there were no sources listed for the information the author wrote! This is my #1 pet peeve for nonfiction books. Just throw in a list of sources at the end! It's not that hard! Overall, however, this is a beautiful and well thought out book that is a must-have for every Frida fan. The book candidly discusses Frida's injuries, affairs, miscarriages, and bisexuality*, so I wouldn't recommend this as a children's book (it's probably fine for junior high aged kids). 4/5 stars, keeping.
Trigger warnings for this book: miscarriages mentions, horrific injury description, body horror, infidelity, smoking, alcohol mention (I think), nudity in some of the art.
The next two October books, which I'm grouping together, are The Home Edit and The Home Edit Life by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin. I love organizing and cleaning shows, such as the Marie Kondo show on Netflix, so when I saw Netflix had come out with another similar show, The Home Edit, I had to watch it. Needless to say, I became obsessed, and bought their two books immediately from Barnes & Noble and Target. Similar to the show, the books show off celebrities' huge and beautifully organized kitchens, pantries, closets, etc., and Clea & Joanna share organizing tips to maximize space and display items. There is so much organization p0rn, you guys. I love the books and their rainbow pages, and Clea & Joanna are a delight. My only wish is that they had clearly outlined and depicted exactly the kinds of canisters, boxes, storage organizers, etc. they used, with ideas of how to use each one. If it weren't for the TV show where they show you how they organize rooms, this would be a major drawback for me. However, if you love organizing and Marie Kondo, I'd definitely recommend these books. 4.5/5 and 4/5 stars, respectively; the first THE book gets an extra half star because most pictures include lists of items used for containing. Trigger warnings: none that I can remember
*obviously I don't think bisexuality is something to hide from the children! some kids are bi. People are bi, Steven. I just know how some parents get
