Vincent

<p><em>Starry starry night</em></p><p><em>Paint your palette blue and gray</em></p><p><em>Look out on a summer's day</em></p><p><em>With eyes that know the darkness in my soul. </em></p><p><em>(Don McLean Vincent) </em></p><p><br></p><p><strong>This book borrows from my song Vincent. At the time I was reading a book about the Dutch painter and was moved to compose a song that paid homage to the artist his work and his pain. But really Judith Proffer hardly needed my song's inspiration since she has a beautiful imagination. We know Vincent's life didn't have a happy ending but by honoring his illness we take a once cloistered conversation and bring it to the forefront. - Don McLean</strong></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A long long time ago lived a shy and fairly quiet boy named Vincent. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Vincent saw things differently than other children. Where other children experienced light and joy Vincent lived in shadows and a gloomy darkness. He was drawn to the beauty of the world that surrounded him but Vincent struggled to recognize the beauty within himself. And so he made colorful drawings on his sketchpad to chase away the greyest of feelings. As he grew older and his sorrow deepened Vincent turned to bold canvases capturing the swirl of emotions with his mighty brushstrokes. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Lushly illustrated in the spirit of some of Van Gogh's greatest works </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Vincent</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> gently fosters empathy and understanding painting a vivid and tender picture of sadness and strife to inspire compassion and kindness within the hearts of children of all ages.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Both accessible and hopeful </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Vincent</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> encourages readers to nurture their own creativity and tend to their own twirl of feelings and also sparks conversation to understand that it's okay to seek help when faced with challenges - all while honoring Van Gogh's enduring legacy.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Don McLean's song Vincent poignantly reflects the profound melancholy of Vincent van Gogh whose life was marked by intense emotional struggles. As the second single released from McLean's </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>American Pie </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>album Vincent reached number one in the UK and was a top 20 hit in the US in 1972. It remains McLean's second most popular song after American Pie. It's been recorded by Josh Groban Ellie Goulding Julio Iglesias and Jane Olivor.</span></p><p><br></p><p>Judith A. Proffer is the author of <em>Patsy Cline's Walkin' After Midnight Broadway Baby Bondi & Poppy Help Heal the Planet</em> (Moonbeam Spirit Award Recipient for Preservation and Stewardship) and <em>When We Stayed Home. </em></p><p><br></p><p>Yoko Matsuoka is a professional fantasy artist living in northern Japan.</p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>From Meteor 17 Books publisher of Graham Nash's </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Our House</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Broadway Baby</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> Heart's </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Dog & Butterfly </em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>and Brandi Carlile's </span><em