Van Gogh and the Post-Impressionists for Kids

Vivid colors. Swirling, curling brushstrokes. Daring dashes. Bold, thick layers of paint. These are the hallmarks of a Vincent van Gogh painting, whose work his fellow artist, Paul Cézanne, once called "that of a madman." But Van Gogh and the Post-Impressionists for Kids moves far beyond the popular image of the mad pauper to reveal a complex young man who loved nature, reading, and conversation, spoke four languages, and enjoyed a successful career as a gallery salesman before embarking on studies as a minister and, finally, finding his calling as an artist.

Kids journey from the hills and dales of the Netherlands to the center of the art world--Paris!--to the dazzling sunflower fields of southern France. Along the way they learn about van Gogh's friendships with four other enthusiastic, like-minded painters who admired but were determined to depart from Impressionism: Paul Gauguin, Paul Signac, Émile Bernard, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Aspiring young artists and history buffs learn not only how these Post-Impressionists' daring shapes, colors, and techniques distinguished their work from what was painted before but also how the men helped one another and whether or not they always got along. Fun and creative projects bring history and art concepts to life, such as

Carol Sabbeth is the author of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Monet and the Impressionists for Kids, and Crayons and Computers. She presents art workshops to children and teachers throughout the United States.