Vasily Kandinsky is a young boy growing up in a proper household in Russia and is being educated in the dull and mundane subjects of math, science and history. Through the illustrations we can see that the world is drab and void of color or any type of excitement. However, his world is invigorated when his aunt introduces him to the paintbox so that he may 'appreciate art'. To Vasily, the colors are vibrant and brilliantly sonorific. Author Barb Rosenstock uses geometric shapes, eloquent chroma and onomatopoeia to bring Vasily's colors to life. Because Vasily's family doesn't see his art as art, he does not pursue it and grows into a conventional adult with a job as a lawyer. Nevertheless, he cannot deny his passion for the melodic symphony reverberating from the colors he comes into contact with and thus becomes a pioneer for abstract art. Throughout, illustrator Mary GrandPre presents us with exquisite patterns. She uses bold illustrations to exude the tediousness of life without fervor in contrast to the essence of his true dynamic spirit. ( )

This excellent picture book biography of Wassily Kandinsky explains and shows how Kandinsky's synesthesia affected his life and his art.

Gift from Nonna & Poppa ( )

Have you ever heard a painting? Russian-born Vasya Kandinsky was an early abstract painter. He broke the traditions and painted more than what he saw; he painted what he heard! Author’s Note, Sources, For More Information.

This picture book tells the story of the life of Kandinsky, a famous abstract artist. When he was growing up, Kandinsky was expected to follow what others thought that he should do. That he should study hard, become a lawyer and that his art should be made up of objects like houses and flowers. But, this is not what Kandinsky wants his art to look like...he wants people to look at it and feel something, create meaning out of it and hear the music that he could hear when creating it himself.

This book could easily be used in teaching for an art class about abstract art. There is great value in students being able to understand that not all art needs to be of something for it to hold meaning or generate emotion. It also teaches us that although what we might want to do in life or in our career may be out of the ordinary and unexpected, it does not mean that we shouldn't do it anyway. Like Kandinsky we should follow our dreams and do what makes us happiest! ( )

Vasily Kandinsky is a young child in Russia and he’s somewhat bored with life till his auntie gives him a paint set. Suddenly, young Kandinsky experiences something totally exciting— the colors in his paint box hiss, crackle, and pop! Though there is a long recess for him before Kandinsky starts to professionally at age 30, his special experience of color remains and pushes him to make pieces that enormously shift for the way the world looks at art. I appreciate how this story was told - through a theme of being repeatedly misunderstood yet persevering.

The author’s note informs us that Kandinsky is thought to have had a genetic condition called synesthesia, causing him to experience colors as sounds and to be able to see music. I liked the illustrations well enough, but I did not love them. ( )