Vincent Can't Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky

Illustrated by Mary GrandPre
Ebook (EPUB FXL CPB)
On sale Oct 03, 2017 | 32 Pages | 9781101937129
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD790L | Fountas & Pinnell S
A gorgeous, lyrical picture-book biography of Vincent van Gogh by the Caldecott Honor team behind The Noisy Paint Box.
 
Vincent can’t sleep . . .
out, out, out he runs!              
flying through the garden—marigold, geranium, blackberry, raspberry—
past the church with its tall steeple, down rolling hills and sandy paths meant for sheep,
He dives at last into the velvety, violet heath, snuggles under a blanket of sapphire sky, 
and looks up, up, up . . . to visit with the stars. 
 
Vincent van Gogh often found himself unable to sleep and wandered under starlit skies. Those nighttime experiences provided the inspiration for many of his paintings, including his most famous, The Starry Night. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime—but he continued to pursue his unique vision, and ultimately became one of the most beloved artists of all time.
 
From the same team behind the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint Box, Vincent Can’t Sleep is a stunning book that offers insight into the true meaning of creativity and commitment.
 
Praise for The Noisy Paint Box:
 
“Even those who aren’t inspired to visit a museum will take away the lesson of Kandinsky’s life: Listen to what excites you and follow its call.” —The New York Times
 
* “Rosenstock’s prose strikes a balance between lightheartedness and lyricism. GrandPré’s paintings conjure up an entire epoch . . . breathing life into all the characters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
* “The rich word choice is a delight: pistachio, cobalt, and saffron introduce readers to colors while hissing, blaring, and whispering reveal the sounds of the colors. . . . This is a beautiful blend of colors, music, and life.” —Booklist, starred
 
* “A rich, accomplished piece about a pioneer in the art world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
 
* “The book offers diverse potential for different types of study, whether one is reading for information or for pleasure. Outstanding.” —School Library Journal, starred
  • SELECTION | 2018
    CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers
"A beautiful exploration of van Gogh’s influences and achievement." —Booklist, starred review

"A soft, sad, lovely introduction to a masterpiece." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for The Noisy Paint Box:
 
“Even those who aren’t inspired to visit a museum will take away the lesson of Kandinsky’s life: Listen to what excites you and follow its call.” —The New York Times
 
* “Rosenstock’s prose strikes a balance between lightheartedness and lyricism. GrandPré’s paintings conjure up an entire epoch . . . breathing life into all the characters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
* “The rich word choice is a delight: pistachio, cobalt, and saffron introduce readers to colors while hissing, blaring, and whispering reveal the sounds of the colors. . . . This is a beautiful blend of colors, music, and life.” —Booklist, starred
 
* “A rich, accomplished piece about a pioneer in the art world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
 
* “The book offers diverse potential for different types of study, whether one is reading for information or for pleasure. Outstanding.” —School Library Journal, starred
Barb Rosenstock is the author of the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint BoxVincent Can't SleepThrough the Window, and Mornings with Monet, as well as many other books. Her most recent book, Mystery of the Monarchs, is a 2023 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Title and a Junior Library Guild Selection. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband, sons, and two big poodles. Barb has always lived near the Great Lakes, and wrote this book to satisfy her lifelong curiosity in their formation. View titles by Barb Rosenstock
© From the author
For as long as I can remember, I have felt a strong connection to animals. I enjoy learning about them, caring for them, and of course, when ever possible, drawing them. That’s why illustrating The Carnival of the Animals was such a joy. It was great fun figuring out what each animal should look like based on how the poems described them, and listening to the classical music while I drew each one helped a great deal. I believe animals all have unique personalities and abilities, and if we are observant, we can learn a great deal from them.
 
The first animal I ever truly connected with was my dog Skippy. He was a mix of rat terrier and Jack Russell. He was white with black spots. I was eight years old when we found him at the animal shelter in Bloomington Minnesota, the town I grew up in. The day we got him, we surprised my mom when we went to the grocery store where she was working as a cashier. We went through her checkout line to buy Skippy’s first bag of dog food. Needless to say my mom was not very happy with us that day, and I don’t recommend ever surprising a parent that way with a new pet . . . but the good news is, she ended up loving Skippy as much as the rest of us did.
 
Skippy and I had a very special relationship. At times it felt like we were actually talking to each other, especially when he would jump up into my lap, tilt his head and point just one ear up. It was as if he was just waiting for me to suggest something we could play together. One of our favorite things to do was to play hide-and-seek. There was an old oak tree that was perfect for climbing in the back yard. Well, no matter how often Skippy and I played hide-and-seek, I would always use the tree as one of my hiding places. I remember climbing up as high as I could go, while Skippy was wandering around in the front yard. After positioning myself comfortably in the highest branches, I would call, “SKIPPY. . . COME AND FIND ME!” Then I would hear the jingle of his dog tags, and wait and watch for him to come around to the back yard. I had a good view, peeking through the green clumps of leaves. As he got closer, I would call again and he would come running to the tree, never looking up, just circling the base, looking confused. Then he would run and sniff and snoop under bushes, behind the shed, or on the swing set. Finally, after a few more calls and more searching, I would quietly sneak down to the lowest branch and then jump to the ground, yelling, “HEEEERRRRE I AMMMM!” He would come running, so excited to see me, seeming so surprised that I had been hiding in the big oak. The funny thing is, no matter how many times I hid in that old oak tree, he never looked up to see me there. He never remembered that I always hid in the tree . . . or did he?
 
Today I wonder if Skippy always knew. Perhaps he was just letting me stay there while he pretended to hunt for me in other places? Skippy knew how to be a good sport and how to play with vigor. He taught me how to find enjoyment in the little things.
 
I hope you enjoy meeting the characters in The Carnival of the Animals. Perhaps you too will make a special connection. View titles by Mary GrandPre

Educator Guide for Vincent Can't Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

A gorgeous, lyrical picture-book biography of Vincent van Gogh by the Caldecott Honor team behind The Noisy Paint Box.
 
Vincent can’t sleep . . .
out, out, out he runs!              
flying through the garden—marigold, geranium, blackberry, raspberry—
past the church with its tall steeple, down rolling hills and sandy paths meant for sheep,
He dives at last into the velvety, violet heath, snuggles under a blanket of sapphire sky, 
and looks up, up, up . . . to visit with the stars. 
 
Vincent van Gogh often found himself unable to sleep and wandered under starlit skies. Those nighttime experiences provided the inspiration for many of his paintings, including his most famous, The Starry Night. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime—but he continued to pursue his unique vision, and ultimately became one of the most beloved artists of all time.
 
From the same team behind the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint Box, Vincent Can’t Sleep is a stunning book that offers insight into the true meaning of creativity and commitment.
 
Praise for The Noisy Paint Box:
 
“Even those who aren’t inspired to visit a museum will take away the lesson of Kandinsky’s life: Listen to what excites you and follow its call.” —The New York Times
 
* “Rosenstock’s prose strikes a balance between lightheartedness and lyricism. GrandPré’s paintings conjure up an entire epoch . . . breathing life into all the characters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
* “The rich word choice is a delight: pistachio, cobalt, and saffron introduce readers to colors while hissing, blaring, and whispering reveal the sounds of the colors. . . . This is a beautiful blend of colors, music, and life.” —Booklist, starred
 
* “A rich, accomplished piece about a pioneer in the art world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
 
* “The book offers diverse potential for different types of study, whether one is reading for information or for pleasure. Outstanding.” —School Library Journal, starred

Awards

  • SELECTION | 2018
    CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers

Reviews

"A beautiful exploration of van Gogh’s influences and achievement." —Booklist, starred review

"A soft, sad, lovely introduction to a masterpiece." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for The Noisy Paint Box:
 
“Even those who aren’t inspired to visit a museum will take away the lesson of Kandinsky’s life: Listen to what excites you and follow its call.” —The New York Times
 
* “Rosenstock’s prose strikes a balance between lightheartedness and lyricism. GrandPré’s paintings conjure up an entire epoch . . . breathing life into all the characters.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
* “The rich word choice is a delight: pistachio, cobalt, and saffron introduce readers to colors while hissing, blaring, and whispering reveal the sounds of the colors. . . . This is a beautiful blend of colors, music, and life.” —Booklist, starred
 
* “A rich, accomplished piece about a pioneer in the art world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
 
* “The book offers diverse potential for different types of study, whether one is reading for information or for pleasure. Outstanding.” —School Library Journal, starred

Author

Barb Rosenstock is the author of the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint BoxVincent Can't SleepThrough the Window, and Mornings with Monet, as well as many other books. Her most recent book, Mystery of the Monarchs, is a 2023 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Title and a Junior Library Guild Selection. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband, sons, and two big poodles. Barb has always lived near the Great Lakes, and wrote this book to satisfy her lifelong curiosity in their formation. View titles by Barb Rosenstock
© From the author
For as long as I can remember, I have felt a strong connection to animals. I enjoy learning about them, caring for them, and of course, when ever possible, drawing them. That’s why illustrating The Carnival of the Animals was such a joy. It was great fun figuring out what each animal should look like based on how the poems described them, and listening to the classical music while I drew each one helped a great deal. I believe animals all have unique personalities and abilities, and if we are observant, we can learn a great deal from them.
 
The first animal I ever truly connected with was my dog Skippy. He was a mix of rat terrier and Jack Russell. He was white with black spots. I was eight years old when we found him at the animal shelter in Bloomington Minnesota, the town I grew up in. The day we got him, we surprised my mom when we went to the grocery store where she was working as a cashier. We went through her checkout line to buy Skippy’s first bag of dog food. Needless to say my mom was not very happy with us that day, and I don’t recommend ever surprising a parent that way with a new pet . . . but the good news is, she ended up loving Skippy as much as the rest of us did.
 
Skippy and I had a very special relationship. At times it felt like we were actually talking to each other, especially when he would jump up into my lap, tilt his head and point just one ear up. It was as if he was just waiting for me to suggest something we could play together. One of our favorite things to do was to play hide-and-seek. There was an old oak tree that was perfect for climbing in the back yard. Well, no matter how often Skippy and I played hide-and-seek, I would always use the tree as one of my hiding places. I remember climbing up as high as I could go, while Skippy was wandering around in the front yard. After positioning myself comfortably in the highest branches, I would call, “SKIPPY. . . COME AND FIND ME!” Then I would hear the jingle of his dog tags, and wait and watch for him to come around to the back yard. I had a good view, peeking through the green clumps of leaves. As he got closer, I would call again and he would come running to the tree, never looking up, just circling the base, looking confused. Then he would run and sniff and snoop under bushes, behind the shed, or on the swing set. Finally, after a few more calls and more searching, I would quietly sneak down to the lowest branch and then jump to the ground, yelling, “HEEEERRRRE I AMMMM!” He would come running, so excited to see me, seeming so surprised that I had been hiding in the big oak. The funny thing is, no matter how many times I hid in that old oak tree, he never looked up to see me there. He never remembered that I always hid in the tree . . . or did he?
 
Today I wonder if Skippy always knew. Perhaps he was just letting me stay there while he pretended to hunt for me in other places? Skippy knew how to be a good sport and how to play with vigor. He taught me how to find enjoyment in the little things.
 
I hope you enjoy meeting the characters in The Carnival of the Animals. Perhaps you too will make a special connection. View titles by Mary GrandPre

Guides

Educator Guide for Vincent Can't Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)