Vincent's Colors [Hardcover]

Vincent van Gogh (Author), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Contributor)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Vincent van Gogh is one of the world's most famous artists. Throughout his life, he wrote to his younger brother, Theo, about his colorful, dynamic paintings. This book pairs the artist's paintings with his own words.

Van Gogh's descriptions, arranged as a simple rhyme, introduce young readers to all the colors of the rainbowand beyond. The descriptive words combine with spectacular reproductions of many of the artist's most beloved and important works to create a perfect art book for young and old alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 1-3. This slim volume, produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an extraordinary accomplishment. Editor William Lach takes Van Gogh's own words from his letters to his brother, Theo, translated closely or freely from French or Dutch, to describe the colors of some of his most famous and beloved paintings. Lach has rhymed them gently: "Leaves of silver turning to green, / stars sparkling, greenish, yellow, white, / a big bunch of violet irises, / and in my head a starry night." There's a single line of text per spread, each opposite a full reproduction or a detail of the painting that corresponds to the line. The book begins with a very brief introduction and ends with a complete list of the paintings, including full descriptions and a citation for the correspondence from which each description comes. Children--and their adults--will marvel at the sunflowers that are "twelve flowers that are light on light" or "a lady's clothes in black, black, black." Accessible to the youngest of connoisseurs. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

This slim volume, produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an extraordinary accomplishment. Editor William Lach takes Van Gogh's own words from his letters to his brother Theo, translated closely or freely from French or Dutch, to describe the colors of some of his most famous and beloved paintings. Lach has rhymed them gently: "Leaves of silver turning to green, / stars sparkling, greenish, yellow, white, / a big bunch of violet irises, / and in my head a starry night." There's a single line of text per spread, each opposite a full reproduction or a detail of the painting that corresponds to the line. The book begins with a very brief introduction and ends with a complete list of the paintings with full description and a citation for the correspondence from which each description comes. Children and their adults will marvel at the sunflowers that are "twelve flowers that are light on light" or "a lady's clothes in black, black, black." Accessible to the youngest of connoisseurs. -Booklist

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811850994
• ISBN-13: 978-0811850995
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art > Painting
  • #45 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art > History

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Starry, starry night", September 27, 2005

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vincent's Colors (Hardcover)

One of the most well-known post-Impressionist artists is Vincent Van Gogh, whose paintings are filled with the brightest shades of yellow, blue and green. In a series of sixteen paintings, accompanied by the descriptive phrases Van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo, young readers can enjoy the brilliance and energy of this man's work. Van Gogh has a particular appeal for children, a welcome introduction into the world of art, as each painting is reproduced with fine detail and the assured brushstrokes Van Gogh made on his canvases. Beautifully bound, the book begins with the author's self-portrait and the facts of his birthplace and eventual move to France, where he was inspired by nature's bounty, rich color and simplicity.

One of the most recognizable paintings is Sunflowers, "Twelve flowers that are light on light"; Irises, "a big bunch of violet irises"; The Bedroom, "two chairs the yellow of fresh butter"; and The Starry Night, "and in my head a starry night", all of them spilling from page to page, in unfolding poetry. Van Gogh's appeal is universal, the perfect artist to teach a child the language of color and creativity. By Chronicle Books, this is a beautiful addition to a child's library of beloved artists. Luan Gaines/2005.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book to treasure, March 10, 2006

By 

pwhimsy (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Vincent's Colors (Hardcover)

I used this book for many lessons, integrating the visual art as well as the writing component. very lovely, easy for young children to relate to, stimulates their own artisty and a lovely book to own.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars vincents colors, November 5, 2006

By 

Risa Demato (coral springs fl.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vincent's Colors (Hardcover)

Vincents Colors is a beautiful book. I purchased it for my preschool to go along with the theme of illustrators and authors. The teachers used this book as a resource to go along with that theme.The children loved looking at the pictures.