I really think this book is for older children as it is so sad and not appropriate for younger children. I found out things I did not know about Vincent Van Gogh. He was a really sad person, but a beautiful talent. I love his Starry Night. Like most artists you can see the sad times and happy times in his paintings. He had a hard time following the footsteps of his brother Theo which I think he was trying to achieve the same level of success. He became famous mostly after his death at 37. Such a visionary with the last of his paintings. This is a very good shortened version of his life. Illustrations in book are like his painting.

‘Portrait of an Artist: Vincent van Gogh’ by Lucy Brownridge is a beautifully told art story for children. Through van Gogh’s masterpieces, Brownridge explores his life - from struggling artist to creating some of the world’s most famous paintings. The original illustrations by Édith Carron bring Van Gogh’s work to life, making it a perfect introduction for young readers and a valuable resource for school libraries.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book satisfied an interest I have had in Vincent Van Gogh since I was a child. Very informative.

I wasn't able to download this before it disappeared from my shelf, but I recently got to see it and the illustrations are so beautiful! Perfect accompaniment to renditions of Van Gogh's real artwork included.

5★
“When Vincent arrived in Paris, something life-changing happened. He saw paintings by a group of artists now called the Impressionists.”

I’m not alone in enjoying the art of Vincent Van Gogh, and I’ve read a bit about him and Theo, his older brother. Theo was an art dealer, and Vincent liked to draw. He was unhappy, but something I didn’t know was that he became a priest, because he had heard that some people found happiness in serving God.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption: Vincent tries life as a priest in Belgium.

When being a priest didn’t help him, he returned home and began painting. But he was dissatisfied with his paintings being “a sludgy shade of brown” so asked his art dealer brother for advice. Theo suggested he go to Paris to get some tips from artists there.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption: Vincent is inspired to paint with what he called “colour gymnastics”.

He and painter Paul Gauguin moved to Arles, where Vincent was captivated by the farms and landscape.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption: Vincent wanders through the countryside

The story of Van Gogh cutting his ear off is well known, but in this children’s book, the story is slightly modified from the usual.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption: ”One day he became so frantic, he had an argument with Paul. In a heated moment, he damaged a part of his ear very badly.”

He went to hospital, where he rested and began to enjoy watching the night skies. Notice the famous painting, “The Starry Night” in the top corner of the illustration below.

Vincent studies the stars from his hospital window.

At the end of the book is a selection of his paintings with notes about each, and there is a list of all the paintings scattered throughout the book as well.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption: Some of Vincent Van Gogh's famous paintings.

This is a particularly colourful, attractive book that should appeal to all ages. Children will be drawn to the vibrancy of his “colour gymnastics”, which illustrator Edith Carron has captured in a simple form, and adults will enjoy revisiting their favourite, familiar paintings.

It is longer and more detailed than I’ve indicated with these few illustrations, and I really enjoyed it. I must admit I found it hard not to hum Don McLean’s famous “Starry Starry Night” while I was reading.

I liked the drawings and it's cool because the art is done similar to van Gogh's style. I also like it because I like abstract art.

Nathan, age 9

A wonderful book about Vincent van Gogh. The illustrations and text are perfect for little minds, and my 6yo enjoys reading this with me. My son loves visual arts and I couldn't ask for a better book to introduce the famous artist with some of his renowned masterpieces to my young child. This beautiful illustrated mini bio is another winner in the series.

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream"⁣ ⁣
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Today Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most well known painters in the world. His paintings auction for millions of dollars. But the story of his life as a struggling artist is one for the books. He was in the grips of depression and was troubled with psychotic episodes. He ultimately lost that battle too. How would you discuss such a troubled yet brilliant artist with your child? Well, thanks to the publishing world and the amazing authors who make art history fun we have perfect resources for learning. ⁣

The Portrait of an Artist series, never shies from telling the truth but how they choose to say it, is what makes the difference. The book is for kids 6 years and above so the whole biography is written and illustrated in a manner that generates an interest in the life and art of Van Gogh. His struggles are highlighted but in a very age appropriate and sensitive manner.⁣
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Edith Carron's illustrations are in sync with the art of Van Gogh and make for eye pleasing reading experience. ⁣
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The best part is the compilation of ten of Van Gogh's paintings at the end of the book. It helps introduce famous paintings with a brief overview and sparks curiosity. ⁣
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The artwork is beautiful! This is such a wonderful way to get kids interested in art and artists. This series is a wonderful addition to my kids' shelves.

A great way to introduce kids to art and artists. I especially liked that they did not shy away from presenting his death. The illustrations are amazing too.

I no longer have this picture book. I have inadvertently deleted the files when trying to download some more ebooks on my kindle.

Beautiful but concerning language to be a book for children. It seems to acknowledge that Van Gogh was mentally unwell but paints his suicide too quaintly and okay for him to not deal with his 'sickness' anymore.

First of all, I love artists’ biographies written for children with rich and colorful illustrations. When I saw this book, it became an absolutely “must read” and I enjoyed it very much. It portrays the great artist as an ordinary person with his own flaws, his ups and downs. The book has excellent pictures and age appropriate language. I recommend it for all children discovering art.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the kindly provided ARC. All opinions are mine.

I thought that this was a beautifully illustrated book which tells the tragically short life of Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most loved and well-known artists in the world.

I love books of this nature and I learnt more about him too and I will admit that after I finished the book I was off on Google finding out more - even as an adult I was intrigued and inspired to go off and find out more.

Despite having a very troubled life and a tragic death at a young age, Van Gogh produced thousands of fascinating works of art, many of which are very well know and his legacy is so important, it is essential to tell his story to new generations, and I loved sharing this one with my daughter.

The illustrator has done a stunning job with the book and it is definitely 5 stars from me - very highly recommended!

Much like the picture book on Frida Kahlo, the artwork in this book is gorgeous. I love the way van Gogh's art is incorporated into the colourful visual narrative. His story is a sad one of course & though the words are simple, I read the end with a lump in my throat. Suicide is not mentioned at all & I thought the ending was handled well. In the case of questions, parents/caregivers can decide how much to share with the child who's reading this.

This is a great biography about Vincent van Gogh for children. I really loved the illustrations in the book.

This book was a short summary of the events in Vincent's life together with his paintings in each page.

However, compared to Frida's version, the artstyle here was really cute but wasn't filled. There's many white spaces in between and the paintings of Vincent's was just pasted rather than being part of the art in some pages.

Overall, it's still cute and was a good read. I'm not sure what to say about the last page since I read a review mentioning that it's romanticizing his suicide (which I'm not very sure since I watched the BuzzFeed episode about him 😅)

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

This is a great addition to any child's bookshelf! The book is not just about Vincent Van Gogh's life. It also speaks of resilience and following your passion.
He was the first artist I introduced to my son. And although I was familiar with his life, I still learned something new from reading this book. I like the interesting approach of presenting his illness to young readers.
I enjoy the display of his paintings throughout the book's pages. The drawings are similar to his style, making it easier for the child to identify the artist.
Thank you to Net Galley and Wide Eyed Editions for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

I really like this non-fiction children's book! I gained a lot of good info about Van Gogh and am excited to share with my students. My constant hesitation with reviewing these types of books is being unable to do a read aloud with the students.