Who Was Vincent van Gogh?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Paula K. Manzanero, Who HQ, Gregory Copeland (illustrator)

Learn about the Dutch artist behind beloved paintings like The Starry Night, Sunflowers, and over thirty self-portraits in this fascinating biography about Vincent Van Gogh for young readers.

Today, Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists of all time. During his lifetime, he sold just one painting. This misunderstood painter was passionate about his craft and created over 2,100 pieces of art in just over a decade before he passed away at the age of thirty-seven. Bold shades of blue and yellow, dramatically thick paint application, and heavy brush strokes define Vincent's pieces that are now adored by millions of people all over the world.

In his brief life, Vincent was an often lonely person who struggled with his mental health. Yet he was always supported by his brother Theo, who encouraged Vincent as he pursued his dreams of being a painter. Much of what we know about Vincent today is thanks to the hundreds of letters from him that Theo kept safe.

Genres: Art

112 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Who Was series, this short story is full of facts and information about Van Gogh’s life.

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been more than a couple hundred of these Who books published over the past twenty-four years, and I'm a tad dismayed by the fact that Vincent Van Gogh is just now being featured. (Especially given many of the people who have been!) This is the 87th that I've read of the series.
I'm particularly drawn to the installments on artists and musicians, but I never know which ones will wow me. They've been outstanding basic biographies for building trivia knowledge, informative for the curious at heart.

After reading it, I can see why they might have dragged their feet on Vincent.
These books are geared toward adolescents and.. spoiler alert.. he not only cuts off his own ear with a straight edge razor, but takes his own life with a firearm. Being reminded of these things, I can see the dilemma.
Nonetheless, the Who people tackle it all as usual. Simply. Directly. To the point.

I tend to rate the books in the series against each other, and this one has superior illustrations! Very well done.

This was a good as anything I've read about Vincent's life before. I particularly liked the details on his use of impasto. Good art history, touching on the Dutch masters and impressionism.

One thing I noticed missing was the parenthetical phonetic spelling (how to say it) following unusual words or names, which have been pretty standard throughout the series. I felt like this book needed them more than most with all the names of people and place, as well as art terms, many of which are French or even Japanese.
It might be that they skipped the pronunciation guides in this one because many of these things may be pronounced differently depending on where you're from, as referenced at the beginning with Van Gogh's name itself. Or maybe because there are so many words that would need help pronouncing, the book would be laden with them.

[Tana Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was biographical, explained his painting process, and it has contact info for people struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written account of a life that ended in sadness and tragedy. It even includes the crisis hotline for anyone suffering with mental health issues. Should it have been made into a children’s book? That part is debatable. Vincent van Gogh is said to be appreciated more after his death, and you have to wonder if he would have been so sad and believed that his sadness was “never going away” if he knew the deep appreciation that so many would have for him years later. The moral of the story, which is missing from this book, is that in life, there is always hope. It’s sad that he didn’t seem to understand that.

[Yuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vincent van Gogh, what would he has felt at the heaven while looking down today's art world? I often think that when I think of his arts, and after finished reading this book, the feeling became deeper than before.

This book showed me some unexpected aspects of him and gave me some specialized terms about painting.

I am a tiny artist, even though I am not a painter. When I reflect on my arts, I have often been encouraged by him since I first learned about his character, life, and his passion for art and nature. So he is the most fascinating artist for me. Probably he would continue to be in my mind in the future as well.

[Robert Genevro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunflowers, Skies & Fingerprints

Why not read a Young Readers biography of Vincent van Gogh? The book gives a basic & satisfying glimpse of VVG. Sure, a lot more events happened. I wonder how a kid of 10 might react to this amazing but tragic life. Also, the illustrations are great

[Nathan Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books...80 paintings in one 80 day stretch - crazy...Also was interesting to learn a little bit more about the famous ear incident, nor did I realize he only sold 1 painting during his life. Woe is us and our unrecognized genius in our lives...

[Crystal Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t like that the connected information pieces are dispersed in the middle of a chapter. I lose the train of thought that way.

[Summer Cromartie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book and very detailed. That's pretty rare for a book written for kids! I wish that she would have included more about his desire to be a priest or missionary. Oh well. :)

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.
Lots of facts

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!