The Artist and Me

by Shane Peacock, Shane Peacock

Vincent van Gogh is now known as an acclaimed, incomparable Post-Impressionist painter. But when he lived in Arles, France, in the 1880s, he was mocked for being different. Back then, van Gogh was an eccentric man with wild red hair who used clashing hues to paint unusual-looking people and strange starry skies. Children and adults alike called him names and laughed at him. Nobody bought his art. But he kept painting.

Inspired by these events, The Artist and Me is the fictional confession of one of van Gogh’s bullies — a young boy who adopted the popular attitude of adults around him. It’s not until the boy faces his victim alone that he realizes there is more than one way to see the world.

Artwork in the book uses vibrant color and texture to bring the laneways, cafés, and wheat fields of southern France to life while playing on scenes from van Gogh’s own work. The lyrical text carries the emotional weight of the subject and will leave readers with the understanding that everyone’s point of view is valuable.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Canada, Fiction, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Shane Peacock was born in 1957 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, one of four brothers. He attended school in the northern town of Kapuskasing, Ontario, before attending university, where he studied History and English literature. A biographer, journalist, and screenwriter, he is also the author of eighteen novels, a picture book and three plays, and has been won and/or been nominated for numerous awards including two Arthur Ellis Awards for crime fiction, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for historical fiction, the Violet Downey Award, the Libris Award, seven times honored with Junior Library Guild of America selections, and has been on three shortlists for the Canadian Children's Literature Award, and one for the Governor-General's Award. His books have been published in 20 languages in 18 countries. He and his wife, journalist Sophie Kneisel live in Cobourg, Ontario and have two daughters and a son.

Series:
* The Dylan Maples Adventures
* The Boy Sherlock Holmes
The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim
The Seven Series

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2008): Eye of the Crow
The Arthur Ellis (2013)
The Violet Downey Award
The Libris Award
The Geoffrey Bilson Award
The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
Anne Izard Storyteller Choice Award
Junior Library Guild of America Selection (7 times)
Governor-General's Award (shortlist)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (shortlist)

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical, children's picture book, The Artist and Me, takes place during the time of Vincent van Gogh. Every day, Vincent goes out to the world to make a new painting, but his eccentricities attract many spiteful eyes. The most notorious were the little children who would call him names and throw pebbles at him whenever they see him. But when one kid stops to see his paintings, he realizes there's much more to the man than he could've realized.

Although this picture book is on the subject of van Gogh, the real protagonist is from the eyes of a little boy. It's not exactly learning about the artist, but more in the harsh lessons of bullying. The boy joins in on the teasing of Vincent, not just because he finds him weird but because everyone is doing it. And as the boy grows older, he comes to realize the errors of his way lead to a missed opportunity with Vincent, who has long since passed and who's works became iconic to the art world. Though the ending is not tragic, it comes with the moral of being a bully, in that it's unproductive when compared to an artist who became so devoted to his craft that he made masterpieces. I liked how the illustrations have heavy use of yellow, a tribute to some of van Gogh's famous pieces in that color, and how the style brings about a retro vibe with its use of crayon and ink. As a picture book, using van Gogh is a perfect example in this story of anti-bullying, as he had many harsh critics who believed his work to be worth nothing; a moving tale to inspire others to look deeper into other people beyond their quirks.

[İdil Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Türkçe’de “Van Gogh ve ben” diye yayımlanmış. Van Gogh’un çocukluğunda uğradığı akran zorbalığından yola çıkılarak yazılmış. Bir çocuğun, etraftakilerin gazına gelerek “resim çizen garip adam”la dalga geçmesi üzerinden ressamla tanışması, onda bıraktığı iz ve yaşlılığında hala içinde taşıdığı pişmanlıkla müzede son bulan bence çok güzel bir kitap.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focuses on Vincent's life as told by a boy who bullied him.

Read with my 6yo for B&R-1st grade Art curriculum.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book affected me deeply. Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artists of all time, was judged and bullied mercilessly, even by young children who looked down on his art as crazy and garish. This is a fictionalized account of a young boy who came to recognize the error of his ways when, despite bullying Van Gogh as a child, was offered one of his paintings by the artist himself and refused to accept it, running away from the crazy artist. Now as an old man, he stands in a museum in Paris, looking at the priceless painting he refused so many years ago, wishing he had been kinder to the man.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional confession of one of van Gogh’s numerous bullies in Arles, France— a young boy who participates in this popular ignoble sport with other children and adults. It’s not until the boy faces his victim alone that he realizes there is more than one way to see the world. An affecting story told in vibrant colors and texture.

[Brigid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redemption arrived too late in my opinion, but that's probably because of my age. Art changed the bully's life a bit at the time, but not satisfactorily enough. At my Pollyanna stage of life, I want to see everyone being kind to one another.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fictional story about a small child and his relationship with Vincent Van Gogh. In the story, the boy bullies Van Gogh, because that is what he sees the adults around him do. He admits to watching Van Gogh with curiosity but whenever Van Gogh is on the verge of catching the boy, the boy returns to his bullying behaviors. I am unsure of the media used to create the illustrations but I love how each illustration takes up a different part of the page based on the story. Sometimes the illustration go across the full spread, sometimes bleed over just a smidge. Other times the images are constrained inside a large border. I feel this adds to the storyline, enhancing it.

I would use this book at all grade levels. It would be an excellent book to start or continue a discussion on bullying. It would also be good for an art appreciation class. I will use it in my textile arts class to demonstrate compassion and that art may not be understood when an artist is living but ensures long after they are gone.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story the setting and characters were believable for a children’s picture book written about the Artist Van Gogh. I also liked that it could be used to discuss SEL in the classroom and not just art. The book discusses bulling and ends with a twist that is relevant for today even though it was written as if in the past. Perhaps that we need to think of today’s actions without forgetting how they may even effect someone in the future even ourselves. The illustrations were beautiful and introduced the reader to the Art of Vincent Van Gogh as well as a small glimpse of what his life in rural France might have been like.

[IfCatsCouldRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

We began our "art" theme. I did not know what the book was about before I read it to my class. They were shocked to find out that a famous artist (we looked at some of his art the day before) was bullied and made fun of by the people that surrounded him.

We used this as a story of perseverance. He may have been teased, had things thrown at him, told his art was no good BUT he kept right on doing what he loved. Not only did he keep painting, he was never nasty back to those people.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fictional story of one of the young boys who tormented Vincent Van Gogh as he worked painting his masterpieces in Arles, France. illustrations are wonderful and in the color palette and style of many of Van Gogh's paintings. Story would be great as a discussion starter on bullying for perhaps second grade and up.

[Lindsy C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simplistic story with a positive message. This book reminds us to avoid passing judgement on someone just because others do, and that you never know when someone’s true potential will be reached. This would also be a superb mentor text to use in an art class, to introduce students to the works of Vincent Van Gogh.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vincent Van Gogh was a man of mental instability, but once he discovered his passion of painting he painted every day. I liked this story for the writing and truth, not for the fact that it is told from the voice of a boy who was one of the people who bullied and tormented Van Gogh. Very well told and illustrated.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful look at how Van Gogh might have suffered from children others...for being different. Told in first person, we learn of an old man remembering his bullying behavior in Arles toward a man no one could understand...a man who was hard to understand. Now, in hindsight, he visits the artist's work and burns in shame.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son is doing a unit on famous artists at summer school and he has become fascinated by Van Gogh. We checked this out from the library. The author did a wonderful job conveying what an outcast VG was in a way that would be easy to understand for young readers.

The illustrations are beautiful!

[L Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written for a child's understanding the life of Vincent Van Gogh. The bullying that took place long before this book was written to a man who was vastly misunderstood, incredibly talented artist whom never received the attention for his works until years after his death.
The illustrations are very moving and take the story so smoothly page after page.

I loved it!!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my third-grade classes for Read Across America week. It was different than other books I chose to share, but with a grade that, at my school, I've observed to struggle with bullying, I thought it would be an interesting perspective to share. And Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists, so I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about his life and his art along with this story.

[Lannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lessons on mob mentality, accountability, and the magic of art. An example of a genius not being recognized in his time, as the “crazy man” the town teases is none other than a particularly famous painter.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Artist and Me tells the story of be careful of who you bully. A young boy learns a great lesson but doesn’t realize he’d learned the lesson until he is an old man. The color of the illustrations, to me, could have been better considering the artist who had been bullied.

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written and wonderfully illustrated book. Sadly in reality it was these youths as bullies that would murder Vincent. In this story the child isn't as cruel as the real boys and his actions are relatively harmless and grows up to do better.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make an excellent read aloud, specifically for the great discussion that can be had after reading.

[Shilpa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring. Thought-provoking. Storytelling that Sparks Change.

Full Review: http://sukasareads.blogspot.ca/2016/0...

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

#identity #follow_dream
An imagined reality of a young boy fascinated but repelled by Vincent van Gogh

[Sophia Papuchis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Van Gogh with a great lesson on bullying!

[Amanda Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really sweet and good book about trusting gut feelings and learning how not to judge other people.

[Sophie Klockow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connection: Not understanding someone's paintings
Use in classroom: Talk about bullying or famous artists such as Vincent Van Gough

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way to introduce VanGogh to young readers.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy encounters Van Gogh, who is mocked and bullied by the townspeople.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning, moving story. Pix not my fave, but suitable. Good notes. Highly recommended, esp. to interested families.

[Victoria Ramírez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book mixing the bullying lesson and the thought life of one of my favorite painters: Vincent Van Gogh!

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad and Sweet