BOOKS FOR KEIKI
2 noteworthy women's biographies

By James Rumford

"Frida," by Jonah Winter, introduces a woman who overcomes pain and suffering through her art.

In "Ruby's Wish," author Shirin Yim Bridges writes about her Chinese grandmother, Ruby, who yearns to go to a university.

The two books are excellent examples of biographies written for children. They combine pictures and words to create a story that engages the child. It is a story that does what no adult biography or encyclopedia article can do: sing a song of a life lived; paint a portrait for us all to see.

The first book is called "Frida." Here author Jonah Winter recounts in no more than 500 words the life of the now-famous — due in part to a recent movie by the same name — Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

The book "Frida" is a poem, a story of hope about how a girl overcame her pain and suffering through painting.

"It is painting that saves her ... Painting is like her imaginary friend. It is there whenever she wants it. It keeps her company. It keeps her from giving up hope."

Later we learn that, "Instead of crying, she paints pictures of herself crying!"

As if these carefully chosen words are not enough, we are given astounding pictures to look at. Spanish illustrator Ana Juan fills the book with paintings that not only bring to mind the kind of art that Frida Kahlo did but help us understand Frida Kahlo in a way that words can never do.

What the author says of Kahlo's art could also be said of Ana Juan's: "She paints what she sees in her heart — on top of what she sees with her eyes. It's almost like painting on photographs."

If we are engaged by the story of a Mexican artist, we are equally touched by the book "Ruby's Wish" by Shirin Yim Bridges.

Bridges writes of her Chinese grandmother, Ruby, who yearns to go to university in a time when only boys were deemed worthy.

Throughout the book, Bridges masterfully uses the word "red" as a metaphor to capture the essence of her grandmother's life. Red is for the little girl's spunk: "Even when her mother made her wear somber colors like all her other cousins, Ruby would tie up her jet-black hair with red ribbons." Red is for humility, for when she is praised, her ears turn as red as her jacket. And red is there in the end, for her salvation arrives in a red packet, the familiar hong bao given at New Year's.

On top of this, the illustrator, Australian Sophie Blackall uses red throughout the book to reinforce Ruby's determination and energy.

In other ways, unfortunately, Blackall's art falls short of the vivid writing. The scenes are stilted, and I have to ask why are the scrolls for the seasons out of order? Why is Ruby shown writing Chinese in the wrong direction?

But if Blackall's art disappoints, the visual appeal of the book does not. Book designer Kristen Nobles has done a masterful job. Green Chinese-patterned endpapers, a yellow matte cover to offset the glossy red dust jacket, and a Japanese typeface of subtle thick and thin lines all go into creating a perfect setting for the story.

Take a look at these books and seriously consider acquiring them for your library. They are remarkable. They are what a children's picture book biography should be: a shining reflection of a life lived, a story to engage the heart.

On another note, Newberry Award winning author Christopher Paul Curtis, "Bud, Not Buddy," is returning to Honolulu; he is the winner of the 2002 Nene Award and was here to receive that recognition last year. He'll be speaking at various events hosted by school and public librarians on April 11 and 12. Information: The Edna Allyn Reading Room for Children, 586-3510.

James Rumford is a Manoa artist, writer and printer.