The Artist and Me

K-Gr 3—Vincent van Gogh is portrayed not merely as a groundbreaking artist but as the victim of ostracism in this intriguing treatment of bullying. An unidentified narrator records the story of "an ugly thing" he did as a child in France. In a scrapbook, he writes his memories of a crazy man with wild red hair who was on a mission to "tell the truth by painting pictures." The children and even the adults in the community of Arles mocked the poverty-stricken, misunderstood artist. Although as a boy the narrator laughed along with the crowd, he admits that van Gogh's paintings often made him wonder. Years later, while visiting a Paris museum with his grandson, the man delights in the creative genius of the artist he once knew long ago. He doesn't laugh at van Gogh anymore. Printed in a font resembling handwriting, the text helps to personalize the lesson learned by the remorseful storyteller. Casson's vibrant illustrations, which feature a Provençal palette of blues and yellows, draw readers into the French countryside, incorporating particular elements of van Gogh's own masterpieces. In one spread, for instance, Casson depicts the painter asleep on a narrow wooden bed in a room with cool blue walls: an echo of one of his most famous works, Bedroom in Arles.