Small Stories of Great Artists

Thirty years ago, Laurence Anholt began his popular children's book series about great artists and children who really knew them. Since then, the stories about Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci and many other geniuses of Western art have sold millions of copies worldwide and for many have been the start of a lifelong love of art. The stories have been adapted in many forms, including Braille editions for blind and visually impaired children, ballet performances, opera productions and a stage musical in Korea.

This anniversary edition includes Anholt's colourful watercolor illustrations, dozens of high-quality reproductions of the artists' paintings, child-friendly artist biographies and interactive questions for young readers. Each story is closely based on the historical events and is based on extensive research. In many cases, Anholt visited the artists' homes and studios, retraced their footsteps and interviewed their relatives. He was given private access to Monet's house in Giverny and became close friends with Sylvette David (now Lydia Corbett), Picasso's famous Girl with the Ponytail.

To make the artists and their worlds accessible to a young audience, Anholt uses a narrative perspective that sees events through the eyes of a child who actually knew the artist. In this way, readers are "piggybacked" through the story and the artists, who might otherwise seem unapproachable, become everyday people. Along the way, important themes and values ​​such as kindness, self-esteem, perseverance, creativity and courage are conveyed.

Perhaps it is Anholt's sensitive narrative style or his hand-crafted illustrations. Perhaps it is his love of children and passion for his subject. Whatever the reason, a whole generation of readers have found a lifelong love of art through his stories - and are now passing on this precious gift to their own children. The following artists and their stories are told in this volume: Van Gogh and the Sunflowers, Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Cézanne and the Apple Boy, Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail, Claude Monet and the Magic Garden, Grandpa Chagall Tells Stories, Degas and the Little Dancer, Leonardo and the Flying Boy.