 Frida Kahlo's Flower Crown Let's celebrate the birthday of a delightful book by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez. Frida Kahlo's Flower Crown is out in the world now, and we have special details about the author and the book for you! Nydia, what a stunning cover! Tell us about this beautiful book. Told through the language and imagery of the native Mexican flowers and plants comes the life of acclaimed and beloved artist Frida Kahlo. Like a flower, Frida blossomed, wilted, was crushed, survived, and thrived, growing into one of the most celebrated Indigenous painters. This poetic and empowering picture book, written by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez and illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor awardee Loris Lora, features the very flora Frida grew in her garden, bought at the market in her hometown, painted in her famous portraits, and wore proudly in a crown around her head. Back matter will include a labeled, illustrated guide to all the flowers and plants featured, an author’s note, and an activity for kids to make their own flower crown! Where did you get the idea to write this particular story? I’ve loved Frida since I was little, but some years ago, I was looking at a picture of Frida and wondered how her crown came to be? This sent me down the research rabbit hole only to discover that there was definitely a story to be told, even though there were so many books about her in the world already. What was the most challenging part of the publication process with this story? Since it was another book about Frida, getting eyes on it initially was THE challenge. It really helped that it was a “fresh take” on this very well documented figure with many ‘takeaways’ (aka unique selling points/USP’s). The more a book has, the better the chances that editors will read and consider it. I strive for 6-8 takeaways in each project. What 3 words would you use to describe your book? Empowerment ~ Frida ~ flora What books are on your to-be-read list? This year, as in years past, I am focusing on a TBR pile that highlights BIPOC authors/creators. We need to support each other more than ever. There are so many wonderful Latine picture books coming this year, and I want to read them all! A middle grade novel that I’m looking forward to reading is Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic by Leslie Adame. Are you agented? If so, can you share how you got one? I am agented and came across Lori Steel of SteelWorks Literary the old-fashioned way via cold querying. At the time that I queried, I did have three polished manuscripts to present, and I really feel like that was helpful. My query letter’s structure was super basic/short and focused on a great logline with comps and closed with my very limited professional writing experience – I had none! But I had immersed myself in KidLit by taking all the virtual webinars/conferences/classes that I could possibly take and joining several critique groups. If you’re not having success, keep going. For every rejection I received, I sent out 1-2 more queries until I found an agent who championed my work.  Nydia Armendia-Sánchez is a children’s book author based in California. Her picture books include:
Nydia was awarded the Sustainable Arts Foundation Illustrated Children’s Book Award and named a finalist for the We Need Diverse Books Walter Grant. Her storytelling is inspired by her children as well as her Guatemalan and Basque roots. Nydia strives for inclusivity and diversity in all her creative endeavors. Connect with Nydia: Instagram and Tik Tok: @author.nydia.armendia
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