Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A low-key yet powerful picture-book evocation of the final days of an eccentric artist who was both a victim of his own demons and the target of village bullies. The outcast artist is Vincent Van Gogh. The thoughtful, unnamed narrator of this impressive first-person fictive confessional is an older man who was one of the boys who brutalized Vincent: "In the beautiful countryside in Southern France near the town of Arles long ago, I used to do an ugly thing. / I tormented someone." In a way that's neither ham-fisted nor didactic, the young boy's inchoate fear of the Other in the person of the artist is balanced by his late-in-life regret and guilt. Peacock's wonderfully paced, poetic text evidences strong understanding of the power of the page turn and how it can masterfully scaffold the storyline. Inclusive backmatter reinforces the impression that Peacock drew on solid scholarship, including Stephen Naifeh and Gregory White Smith's well-received Van Gogh: The Life. The text is balanced with Casson's sensitive, hand-drawn images augmented with fluent Photoshop-layered colors (intended to evoke the silk-screen technique so admired in Van Gogh's time). The spreads are given an additional intimacy via a final overworking with pastel. A brilliant collaboration: simple, resonate, superb. (biographical note, author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)

School Library Journal (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

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 Provennal 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 . VERDICT This singular perspective on a troubling issue observed through the lens of art history delivers a meaningful message about individuality and tolerance. Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston

ALA Booklist (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Although the title suggests that this picture book about Vincent van Gogh is told from the viewpoint of a friend, it's actually narrated by an elderly man who, in his youth, tormented the artist. The young, unnamed narrator is one of many in a small French village who mock and harass the disturbed painter. While the child is actually intrigued by the artwork and surreptitiously admires van Gogh's paintings, he cannot overcome the pressure to ostracize him. Years later, he views the priceless paintings on gallery walls. The pastel-style illustrations in rich colors are reflective of van Gogh's oil paintings and feature some elements of his most famous images. The final page includes an author's note, a brief bibliography, and details about van Gogh, including his poor treatment at the hands of others. This provides a glimpse into the darker side of van Gogh's life and a real-life context for the effects of bullying, which will spark interest and encourage discussion.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

An elderly gentleman compiling a scrapbook looks back on his childhood in the south of France, specifically time spent tormenting an eccentric artist (whom readers discover is Vincent van Gogh). Peacock's first-person narrative, framed as the scrapbook's text, is forthright and self-aware; sunlit illustrations reflect the artist's brilliance without mimicry. End notes offer information about van Gogh and the story's inspiration. Bib.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A low-key yet powerful picture-book evocation of the final days of an eccentric artist who was both a victim of his own demons and the target of village bullies. The outcast artist is Vincent Van Gogh. The thoughtful, unnamed narrator of this impressive first-person fictive confessional is an older man who was one of the boys who brutalized Vincent: "In the beautiful countryside in Southern France near the town of Arles long ago, I used to do an ugly thing. / I tormented someone." In a way that's neither ham-fisted nor didactic, the young boy's inchoate fear of the Other in the person of the artist is balanced by his late-in-life regret and guilt. Peacock's wonderfully paced, poetic text evidences strong understanding of the power of the page turn and how it can masterfully scaffold the storyline. Inclusive backmatter reinforces the impression that Peacock drew on solid scholarship, including Stephen Naifeh and Gregory White Smith's well-received Van Gogh: The Life. The text is balanced with Casson's sensitive, hand-drawn images augmented with fluent Photoshop-layered colors (intended to evoke the silk-screen technique so admired in Van Gogh's time). The spreads are given an additional intimacy via a final overworking with pastel. A brilliant collaboration: simple, resonate, superb. (biographical note, author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)