Up today are reviews of five picture books about famous 19th century artist Vincent van Gogh, recommended for kids ages 6 to 12.
The Artist and Me by Shane Peacock, illustrated by Sophie Casson (Owlkids Books, 2016)
This story is told as a confession: as a boy the narrator used to make fun of van Gogh and his paintings, but van Gogh was kind to him anyway and later, as an old man, the narrator sees his paintings in a museum. The illustrations mimic van Gogh’s style with their bright colours. At the end is a three-paragraph bio describing how van Gogh was mistreated during his life and died mysteriously, but now some of his paintings are worth over 100 million dollars. Another note explains how van Gogh is an inspiration to the author and states the theme of the story: bullying is terrible. A list of sources includes three biographies of van Gogh. Recommended for ages 6 to 9.
Vincent Can’t Sleep by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpre (Alfred A. Knopf, 2017)
This picture book covers van Gogh’s childhood, travels, and artistic career, all with the refrain “Vincent can’t sleep.” It’s well written with brief but vibrant language. The story doesn’t specifically talk about mental illness but shows van Gogh as a loner and his time in the hospital. It culminates in the painting of The Starry Night, “a whirling, moonlit dream, bold and infinite, like the wandering Milky Way, strange and restless, like Vincent himself.” I really liked the colourful illustrations. A one-page author’s note talks about van Gogh’s insomnia and paintings, specifically “The Starry Night” and includes reproductions of three famous paintings and quotes from van Gogh. Approximately 15 sources are listed, including books, articles, websites, and email correspondence. Recommended for ages 6 to 9.
Vincent Van Gogh: Sunflowers and Swirly Stars by Joan Holub (Grosset & Dunlap, 2001)
Part of a series of biographies written as school reports, this book features a conversational tone and lots of interesting information from a child’s perspective. It covers the sad things matter of factly (e.g. “I feel really sorry for Vincent van Gogh. He had an unhappy life. When he was 37 years old, he shot himself and died. That makes me sad.”) The illustrations include cartoons, van Gogh’s paintings, and a few photographs. Recommended for ages 6 to 9.
Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind by Chiara Lossani, illustrated by Octavia Monaco (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2011)
This picture book for older kids covers van Gogh’s whole life, showing the difficulty he had finding his vocation and his troubled relationships and mental illness. It ends abruptly with Theo’s death, six months after Vincent’s. A recurring theme is the wind talking to van Gogh, encouraging him to go on. The illustrations are colourful, a little flat and chaotic, and incorporate some of van Gogh’s paintings. A brief note says that reading van Gogh’s letters helped the author see the world with new eyes. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
My Brother Vincent van Gogh by Ceciel de Bie (The Paul J. Getty Museum, 2002)
In journal style this longest of all the books (64 pages)recounts Vincent’s whole life from his brother Theo’s point of view. It has the most personal tone as it depicts their relationship as well as van Gogh’s artist friends. The illustrations are van Gogh’s paintings and early drawings as well as works by artists he admired. Recommended for ages 10 to 12.