van Gogh, Vincent: Vincent's Colors.

van Gogh, Vincent VINCENT'S COLORS. ISBN 0-8118-5099-4. Il. by Vincent van Gogh. Metropolitan Museum of Art. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2005. 48 pp. $14.95 US.

   Stars sparkling, greenish, yellow,
   white,
   And in my head, a starry night.
      --Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Vincent van Gogh loved colors. He celebrated them in letters to his brother, Theo, in which he often described his dynamic, colorful paintings. This sophisticated yet simple book contains representations of 16 of van Gogh's paintings, each with a descriptive line emphasizing the color or juxtaposition of color, number, size, or other aspect of the painting. Although the text is simple enough for young children to read, the book begs to be read as a picture book with an adult who can discuss the work with children. In that way, children could enjoy the painting for what it depicts at first glance and for what they can "see" beyond the obvious in each painting. Vincent's Colors also could be instructive for the child or adult who wants to know more about van Gogh's style. Reading Vincent's Colors is like having a small gallery on your lap.

This is a book to be cherished and reread many times. It belongs in the book collection of anyone who values fine work. Although presented as a children's book, it would be just as appealing to adults becoming acquainted with van Gogh's work. The first page contains a brief description of van Gogh, mainly relating his love for color and his move to the south of France, where the colors in nature were more intriguing to him than those in his native Netherlands. The story concludes with a reproduction of his famous "A Starry Night."

Following the text are three pages containing a miniature of each painting in the book, along with its formal title, date, size, medium, the letter number from which the text is taken, and information about where it can be viewed, or in which private collection it resides. Ages 4-8. Reviewed by Carole Campbell, University of Southern Arizona