Book Review: “Vincent: Starry Starry Night” by Judith A. Proffer

“Vincent: Starry Starry Night” by Judith A. Proffer (Author), Yoko Matsuoka (Illustrator)

Genre: Children, Non-Fiction

Page Length: 56 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

A long, long time ago lived a shy and fairly quiet boy named Vincent. No one quite understood why, but Vincent saw things differently than other children. Where others saw light, Vincent saw shadows. Where others saw shadows, Vincent captured light. Vincent was drawn to the beauty of the world that surrounded him, but he never recognized the beauty within himself.

Lushly illustrated in the spirit of some of Van Gogh’s greatest works, Vincent gently fosters empathy, understanding, and connection for those, like Van Gogh, who struggle with mental well-being – painting a vivid and tender picture to inspire compassion and kindness in the hearts of children of all ages.

Both accessible and hopeful, Vincent encourages kids to embrace their creativity and understand that it’s okay to seek help when faced with challenges, all while celebrating Van Gogh’s enduring legacy.

Book Review:

Vincent: Starry Starry Night is Children’s picture book is too stunning for words. With gorgeous illustrations reminiscent of Van Gogh’s art style the pictures seem to speak for themselves even though words are included. The book is inspired by Don McLean’s song Vincent, which is McLean’s second most popular song after American Pie. Though none of us really knew Vincent I think this book does an excellent job of capturing his lifelong emotional struggles for a younger audience. It sends a message that its okay to not be okay.

Though I’ve read many books about Vincent Van Gogh, I really appreciated this one being the first one (for a young audience) to honor his illness and like McLean states in his author’s note to bring that aspect of of his life to the forefront of the story. Pages illustrate along with Proffer’s lyrical writing style about just how vividly Vincent saw the world around him and created artwork to reflect the beautiful landscapes and views that he took inspiration from to create some of his most notable works.

This book reminds its readers that there is always a light within in the dark and also to seek out joy within our everyday lives. Though there is a hint of melancholy to this picture book as I’m aware of Vincent’s sad ending, but it is also filled with lots of hope. I was so moved by reading this book and it is a great testament to Vincent’s legacy and teaches us the many ways in which we can interpret artwork by viewing pictures through multiple lenses.

Final Verdict: