How often do we take our little ones with us to visit museums or other cultural sites that end up in semi-disasters because our children are to young or too small to appreciate the “sophistication”? Or so we think.

In the Garden with Van Gogh is a board book. A board book filled with ten beautiful, calming paintings from the master artist Vincent Van Gogh. Along side each picture is a rhyming, lyrical text that adds calm and interest for a child. “Twelve sunflowers lean toward the light. Five are wide open, seven shut tight.” Here on the first page are things that draw a child’s interest. First they can count the sunflowers, then they look for those wide open. Next they look for those shut tight. But wait!

Let’s go see some actual sunflowers first. Let’s count and pick and notice those wide open and those shut tight. Let’s notice the direction the sunflowers are “looking”. Let’s take those we picked and put them on a table and observe how long they last and the care we need to give them. Then, in the evening, bring out the book as a surprise and begin to examine the painting and the rhyme. Include it in your nightly devotion.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8

This will take a little prereading and planning but isn’t that part of teaching our children?

What other paintings are included in the board book? Irisis, old trees with green leaves, picking fruit, sowing seeds, reaping fields, stacking hay with a little play, and a nap under a haystack. The people napping are even dressed in blue! A child probably already knows Little Boy Blue. There’s a child taking first steps from mom to dad in the garden.and the well know “Starry Night”. Each page may be a stand alone adventure. It’s a book a child may enjoy reading on their own after the introduction.

There are other board books about the paintings of famous artist: Monet, Degas, Renoir and Seurat. The next time you want to take a grown up adventure with your small child, explore how to make it relatable to them as well as you. You may be surprised how much they enjoy a grown up, sophicticated adventure. You may even find a budding artist in your family.

Off to paint flowers, Gail Cartee

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