The Andersen Library Blog

Vincent Van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind
by Chiara Lossani, illus. by Octavia Monaco
E Los
New Arrivals Island, 2nd Floor

I learned a lot from reading this delightful, colorful tribute to the painter. Despite my initial doubt at the perhaps inadvertent nod to the theme song of the mid-90s Disney movie Pocahontas, the wind theme works well by the end. The wind reappears in many of the illustrations as a cheery snail shell-shaped cloud, speaks to encourage Vincent in his artistic growth, gives voice to Vincent’s hopes and dreams for his art, yet also gives voice to the darker sides of his mental illness and his difficulty relating to many of the artists and friends around him. The book deals gently and in an age-appropriate way with the many less appealing aspects of his life, such as his alcoholism, temper, lack of commercial success during his lifetime, and his eventual suicide, all of which have contributed to his posthumous reputation as a “tortured artist.”

Indeed, the book is as much a tribute to his brother Theo, who was perhaps his most stalwart supporter and friend. He tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to sell his brother’s paintings in Paris and many times sent him money, painting supplies, and even encouraged Vincent to come to Paris and move in with him. It makes me want to read the longer nonfiction YA biography of the two brothers, Vincent and Theo.

The book provides reproductions of at least a dozen of his paintings, and the glimpse made me want to look up more about his artistic development and his life. Highly recommended.

Adrift: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea
by Tami Oldham Ashcraft with Susea McGearhart, narrated by Laurence Bourvard
G530.A84 A8 2018
New Arrivals Island, Audiobooks, 2nd Floor

In the audiobook version of Red Sky in Mourning, sailor and author Ashcraft recounts the story of her 41-day ordeal, adrift in the Pacific on a badly damaged sailboat.

The luxury craft that she and her fiancé were to deliver to its owners in San Diego is battered when overtaken by a category four hurricane, and during the storm her fiancé is lost at sea. With main mast broken and electronics rendered useless, she is forced to rely on her essential knowledge of navigation and use of a sextant. Her narrative successfully captures how her sense of loss competes with her sailing skills and survival instinct.

Red Sky in Mourning (2002)

While the 2018 film adaptation is less harrowing than the true story, she states, “I’m just very pleased that it’s being told at a time when there’s such an empowerment of women. […] I think it’s a time to show some of the strengths that women have, that they can overcome all kinds of obstacles in their lives.”