Van Gogh (Great Names)

A biography of Vincent Van Gogh, the eccentric nineteenth-century Dutch painter whose work helped bring about the birth of modern art.

Grade 4-6-A brief introduction states that, "Vincent van Gogh was a strange, crazy painter, who lived at the end of the 19th century." The story of his sad life is a complicated one, incorporating personal failure and mental illness, and ends in tragedy. Presenting this man's life to children in a format they can relate to is a daunting task, and this book does not meet it. Bowen tells his subject's story in the first person and includes descriptions of the artist's family background, early occupations, and work as a painter. There is little dialogue but the author clearly fictionalizes van Gogh's thoughts and emotions. Joan Shaddox Isom's The First Starry Night (Whispering Coyote, 1998) tells the story of one painting through the eyes and voice of a fictional young child who befriends the artist. Rui's illustrations, though lovely and evocative of van Gogh's work, cannot replace the originals (which are reproduced only as an addendum on the last two pages of the book).
Toniann Scime, Amherst Museum, NY
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