Van Gogh and the Post-Impressionists for Kids

Gr 4—7—The bulk of this wonderfully thorough study of Post-Impressionist artists focuses on van Gogh, with smaller sections devoted to Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Signac, and Emile Bernard. The highly engaging text follows the artists' lives with crisp writing and vivid detail, delving into their family backgrounds and relationships, and doesn't sugarcoat dark and gritty incidents such as van Gogh's self-inflicted ear amputation. Information is well organized, with logical headings and chapter breaks to introduce important milestones. Full-color reproductions of paintings discussed in the text add visual interest, and educational sidebars expound on topics mentioned in the main narrative, such as the Japanese prints that van Gogh loved. Although some activities may be challenging and depend on artistic skill, such as sketching van Gogh's The Carrot Puller to explore shading techniques, most activities do not require any particular talent. A letter-writing activity encourages children to see like artists and use descriptive writing to illustrate a scene in words, for example, and another project cleverly involves using a bagel and craft foam to make a bird feeder shaped like one of van Gogh's famous sunflowers. With its creative, hands-on ideas for teaching art technique and history, this book is an excellent resource for students and teachers. The extensive biographical information not only provides solid material for school reports, but also makes for a truly fascinating read.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA