For Younger Van Gogh Scholars

There are a number of excellent Van Gogh related books for children and young adults. Those below are just a small sampling.

• Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind by Chiara Lossani and Octavia Monaco (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2011): This lovely book explores the life of Van Gogh from childhood to his final days in Auvers. With a focus on the letters Van Gogh wrote to his brother the book offers a rich narrative, but its greatest strength is its wonderful illustrations. Colourful and full of whimsy, this book is a feast for the eyes.

• The Story of van Gogh and Gauguin: A Color and Learn Book by Lisa A. Frey (Starshell Press, 2001): Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin had a tremendous influence on each other's work and this colouring book allows young artists to follow in the brushstrokes of the two masters. An enjoyable and entertaining book for children.

• Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt (Barron's, 1994): A delightful book for children with an entertaining story and nice illustrations. Join young Camille Roulin as he makes friends with a strange, but friendly Dutch painter. An enjoyable tale about accepting people who are different, friendship and sunflowers.

• Van Gogh: Art Activity Pack by Mila Boutan (Chronicle Books, 1995): I couldn't resist picking this up when I visited the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California. This fun book package is written for budding Van Gogh scholars around age 6 or 7. It includes a booklet which looks at some of Van Gogh's more famous works and explores his use of colour, brush stroke and movement. It asks the young reader a number of questions about Van Gogh's paintings and includes what was, for me, the real selling point: a large unpainted sketch of the Church at Auvers for the young artist to practice on. I especially liked the artist's notebook which asks the student to paint a number of different selections in the style of Van Gogh, as well as a bouquet of flowers in their own style.

• Color Your Own Van Gogh Paintings by Marty Noble, illustrator (Dover, 1999):

• Van Gogh by Bruce Bernard (Eyewitness Art series, 1992): The Eyewitness series of art and travel books are renowned for their insight and attention to detail. This particular book manages to cleverly dissect Van Gogh's works, but never does so in a cold, analytical fashion. The human factor is always at the forefront of this excellent book.

• What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh? by Richard Muhlberger (Viking, 1993). An enjoyable book well suited for younger scholars of Van Gogh. This book is part of a series created by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and includes an entertaining discussion as to what is unique about Van Gogh's particular style of painting.

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