Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions for granting my wish for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Portrait of an Artist: Vincent Van Gogh’, written by Lucy Brownridge and illustrated by Edith Carron, in exchange for an honest review.

Intended for children ages 7-10, this serves as a brief introduction to the life, work and legacy of Van Gogh. It’s due to be published on 3 September.

The text is simple while informative and is combined with striking illustrations that incorporate some of Van Gogh’s paintings. I loved the occasional cat that Carron has placed in her pictures.

Given the ages of its intended readership, the manner of Van Gogh’s death by suicide is sensitively noted that “Vincent decided that he had had enough of being unwell”. It leaves the subject open to allow a parent, guardian, or teacher to respond appropriately if questions are raised.

The final pages chooses ten of his masterpieces to highlight points in his artistic career.

I found this to be delightful and certainly highly recommended to help in instilling an appreciation of art and art history in younger readers.

Portrait of an Artist: Vincent van Gogh by Lucy Brownridge is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This book is excellent for kids to learn about van Gogh's life and his art. It tells about where he lived, what he painted, and in the back of the book it has extra information on his paintings. This is a find starting point for young historians or painters!

A beautiful illustrated book narrating the life of Vincent Van Gogh,one of the most loved and known artist worldwide.

Despite having a troubled life and a tragic death,his legacy is so important and it is essential to transmit his story to new generations,maintaining his relevancy.

I loved the fact that the illustrations recall the artist’s style and that his works are used to tell his story.

This book could be used for children of different ages and it can be a starting point for deeper discussions.

Well done to the author and to the illustrator!

The Portrait of an Artist series by Lucy Brownridge is an excellent introduction to art and its importance to our world. This specific title focuses on the life and works of Vincent van Gogh, which presents some challenges for the author. Brownridge is able to include very complex topics, self-harm, depression, and suicide, with a delicate touch. Younger children will be able to enjoy the illustrations, while older children may use the opportunity to ask important questions. Children of all ages will be engaged by the beautiful illustrations by Edith Carron, which serve as a backdrop for van Gogh's own paintings. Lucy Brownridge has created a series of books that will appeal across the generations and will facilitate renewed interest in the seminal works of the past.

What can be said about van Gogh that hasn't been already? Well, this book reveals that and more! It's very colorful, aimed at a younger audience, and it tells an honest story while not becoming maudlin or depressing. The book features modest reproductions of several of his works including the well-known ones, and the art (by Edith Carron) is as well-done as the text, which is brief without being too brief and informative without being exhausting - in short, just right for a young reader whom you want to introduce to the kind of art that, let's face it, a child might emulate in many ways, especially if they try to copy the colorful, unadorned, yet fine-looking works that Carron reproduces here.

For me the real tragedy of van Gogh isn't his life, but what happened afterwards. He can never know how beloved he is today after having such a short and unappreciated life, and that's inexcusable, so it would behoove us all to remember that when looking at new art today.

The book discusses van Gogh's art, his life, his relationship with his brother, and even his depression without becoming medical or unintelligible. It's not just about the art, but about the whole idea of what brings an artist to paint what they do, and as such the book does have something new to say about van Gogh, something younger reads would like to hear. I commend this as a worthy read.

Beautifully illustrated story of the life of Vincent van Gogh. Great introduction to the artist and his work.

A very good book in the making, I happen to know a little too much of the subject to credit this with the success it should be. It shows the life of Vincent van Gogh, forever painting or otherwise presenting his artworks to us, so the book's creators posit him at, say, the top of some steps in Montmartre, and show his real-life, finished work on the easel he stands in front of. Thus a suitable pictorial representation of his work is always accompanying a suitable illustration of the point of its creation, and a suitable text. Except… it seems to say pictures like 'The Potato Eaters' are dismissed for their lack of colour, when they're still thought of highly. It says he and Gauguin found the Yellow House together, when they didn't, and it says Vincent took himself to hospital, when he didn't, for his brother consigned him with Vincent's consent, which is not quite the same thing. I really like the format, and I'd rave over this book, not least for the pleasant way it gives us some of the darker nitty-gritty in a very PG-certificate manner – but to have so many nits to pick with it means I can't rate it as highly as it might otherwise have deserved.

What a beautiful book! I read this with my 5 year old and she was fascinated by the story and the illustrations. The perfect way to introduce Van Gogh to a child. I can't wait to add this to our shelf.

"Portrait of an Artist: Vincent van Gogh" is a great introduction to Van Gogh. The picture book covers a lot of his life and works well.

Portraits of an artist: Vincent Van Gogh is a book about an interesting and tormented man. Van Goghs paintings are my favorite. To find out so many interesting facts about his life make those paintings event more beautiful.

The childlike simple illustrations are a lovely contrast to Van Goghs paintings that are included throughout the story, to show different times of his life.

What a beautiful tribute.

The perfect and lovely book to celebrate a notable artist’s life. The book presents information in an accessible and inviting way. I would gladly add this to my shelf.

Another book in the Portrait of an Artist series.
This is one dedicated to the life of Vincent Van Gogh.
The tag line is “Discover the artist behind the masterpieces.”

Anyone with a passing knowledge of Van Gogh’s life will know it was a troubled one and perhaps not easy to reduce to the understanding of 4-7 year olds.

Written by Lucy Brownridge and wonderfully illustrated by Edith Carron. I like that the colourful drawing throughout the book reflects the artist it is about.
Vincent was a troubled soul but a person of great talent that he struggled to express or find personal contentment. He loved to draw but when he came to make his sketches into paintings his colour palette was drab and predominately brown.
What I like is that this is detailed and placed within the story; his lack of self-esteem and complex of inferiority in the shadow of his brother. That Theo his sibling was supportive is brought home which is a strand a parent can develop with their children.
Vincent has a light bulb moment both figuratively and in the reality of being introduced to vibrancy of colour through meeting the Impressionists working in Paris where he’d gone to be with his brother.
This is the difference between light and shade and this again is explained well here.
Finally I really liked that his mental health issues were not set aside or even just skirted over but generically termed an illness. Interestingly through his use of colour you can have a conversation with an inquisitive child around the choice of colours employed in certain paintings.

What I love most about this series is the exposure to works of art. Here 10 of Van Gogh’s masterpieces are looked at in more detail.
Hopefully the book will lead to a greater interest in the arts and creative pastimes. I am looking forward to a visit to an art galley and being asked if that’s a Van Gogh or just an example of the Impressionist period.
Lovely books that your children will adore.

I love the child-like quality of the illustrations in this kid-friendly biography about Vincent Van Gogh. Each page is full of vibrant color, and painted in styles that mimic some of Van Gogh's techniques. Readers will learn about the early influences on Van Gogh's life and see examples of his work on each double page spread. The prints tie in perfectly with the story line as it proceeds.

I found it interesting that the title page lists the illustrator first and then the author. But I have to say the illustrations are really the driving force in the story with so many rich details to explore on each and every page. The story, while well written, seems more of a supplement to the visual story the art tells.

I was particularly pleased that the author handled Van Gogh's self-inflicted ear injury, as well as his untimely death, in a very sensitive manner. Parents of older children may want to research more about Van Gogh's struggles and have a discussion about depression, mental illness and suicide.

I loved that the back of the book provides titles of paintings, the year they were painted and the museum location where the work is displayed. Additional background notes are offered for a many of paintings. An extension activity could be to either visit a local museum or explore one online and search for more of Van Gogh's works. Online images can be zoomed in to find greater detail.

This book would make a great resource for art education. The illustrations introduce children to color combinations, perspective drawing, and visual storytelling. Students can explore how Van Gogh's style of painting changed once he was introduced to impressionism. The book will also serve as a great model for replicating art on their own: younger readers can copy the techniques of the illustrator's work and older students can try their hand at creating works modeled after Van Gogh's actual paintings.

Portrait of an Artist: Vincent Van Gogh can be pre-ordered before its September 3, 2019 release. Order a copy for yourself and an art enthusiast in your life!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Portrait of an Artist: Vincent Van Gogh from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully illustrated and clearly presented, this is a wonderful introduction to the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. Very visually engaging, each page has plenty to hold the readers interest. This would be a perfect read alone or small group text for my KS2 students.

These books are a great way to introduce art and artists to children.
I liked the illustrations and though the way they described Van Gogh's death was perfect and age appropriate.
The paintings chosen to showcase Van Gogh's body of work was well thought out, properly showing the vast difference in his use of colors.

Definitely recommend

Portrait of an Artist: Vincent van Gogh by Lucy Brownridge is a visually stunning account of the life and work of the beloved Dutch artist. The text is simple, yet comprehensive, and is written in straighforward and concise terms that even the youngest of children will find accessible. I was immediately drawn into the stunning illustrations, feeling almost transported to the world that Van Gogh himself inhabited.

This book is the perfect tool by which to introduce young children to the appreciation of classic art. I would not hesitate to purchase this book, not only to share with the children in my life, but as a cherished addition to my own collection.

Many thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions for granting my wish, and allowing me access to this beautiful gem of a book.

This book provides a brief introduction to the life and paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Lavishly illustrated by in bright colors by Edith Carron, the illustrations include many small reproductions of Van Gogh’s paintings placed throughout. The author treads lightly on well-known events of van Gogh's life, such as the severing of part of his ear and his suicide at age 37. As a result, the ending is confusing. Nevertheless, the many reproductions of his work and the colorful context in which he lived in Arles provide a concise introduction to the artist that could stimulate further investigation.