Based on the tried and true theme of good and evil, Beneath the Swirling Sky tells the story of a young boy, Vincent, who goes on a journey to save his sister with the help of his cousin. It's a story that explores family legacy, art and history and of course a little bit of magic! As Vincent and his cousin, Georgia, work to rescue little Lili, Vincent must also confront some lies he came to believe about himself and the gifts he'd been given by God.

This story was fast paced, engaging and I enjoyed it! It would make for a great read aloud, and I loved the illustrations throughout! My daughter is always looking for chapter books with illustrations, and this will be a book she'll read over and over again!

His parents are driving him, Vincent and his adopted little sister Lili to Uncle Leo’s home. His parents are taking a week long vacation. When they arrive, Vincent meets his second cousin Georgia. He thinks that she acts like a know it all which Vincent makes him unhappy. His Uncle Leo is an art conservator. His house is full of paintings. Vincent wants nothing to do with art after an experience he had. He finds out there is no wi-fi. He can’t do what he was planning on doing games with others and more. His parent told him to take care of his little sister. Georgia and Lili share a room and all seems well. Lili almost gets into trouble even though Georgia is with her. Vincent saves her. There is a locked room in the house. Vincent is told it is out-of-bounds for him. Then a time, he finds the door open and he enters to find many paintings in the room but are covered up. Why? Vincent falls into a painting. He manages to get out. How? Lili and Georgia are together in Georgia’s bedroom. Georgia is reading. Vincent decides to check on Lili but can’t find her. When he goes to Georgia’s bedroom he asks where Lili is. Georgia looks up from her book and sees that Lili is nit in the room. Vincent.and Georgia look for her but can’t find her. Vincent notices the door the room that is supposed to be lock but isn’t. Vincent fears that Lili has fallen into a painting. Georgia offers to help find Lili when they decide that she has gone into a painting. Will they find her?

The novel is action packed, Vincent goes through the confusion of why his parents didn’t tell him about traveling through paintings and at the same time his art work at the competition in school did not win but the students made fun of it. The novel is written into this mysterious world that I found it difficult to stop reading it. It is a book that took me into another world of mystery with beauty and ugliness. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou is book 1 in a new children’s series. This series features a family of children who discover an inherited ability to travel inside paintings. So many adventures lie ahead— children will absolutely adore the book’s characters and how it brings art to life so vividly. It’s a fantastic read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This was a fun middle-grade read. When Vincent and Lili are sent to their uncle's house while their parents are on a trip, they never expected to find out the family secret. When Lili disappears into a famous painting, Vincent is determined to rescue her and bring her back, even though he has sworn off art forever. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. This was a fun book. 4 stars.

Dive into a world where art comes alive in this adventurous new middle-grade series!

Vincent and his sister, Lili, go to visit their art restorationist great uncle and get swept into a high stakes world of intrigue and art along with their spunky cousin, Georgia.

I love discovering a new middle grade series to recommend, and this one hits the marks for me. An engaging adventures that draws the readers in with compelling characters and a rich landscape of art history, with a devious. Excellent world building with a creative fantasy premise, that was well presented and fun. I loved the themes of using your gifts for good, not letting your emotions rule you, as well as seeds of faith that I hope will grow as the series progresses.

A well written adventure that kept pulling me back in, I liked how we see Vincent's heart changes over the course of the story, as well as how he sees his quirky cousin. Georgia is a take charge kind of girl, courageous and ready to face down monsters. I liked her quick thinking, and how she doesn't give up on Vincent.

Overall, a fantastic read perfect for middle grade readers, I loved learning cool tidbits of art history along the way. A great start to a new series, with plenty of room to expand. I hope many find this great new series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About this book:
“After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent's plan is to stay glued to his phone.
That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world's most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces.
With Lili’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second-cousin Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted. Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal—and adventure and danger lurk beyond every canvas.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Restorationists” series.


Spiritual Content- Vincent’s family only goes to church a few times a year and thinks about when he was staring at the Pacific Ocean that “God felt close but transcendent, like being enveloped in a cloud”; Georgia shares that Vincent van Gogh felt close to God through nature (which is why the church is dark in one of his paintings and the sky is bright) & says that she feels closer to God with art; Vincent and Georgia go into two paintings that are based off of Biblical events (Belshazzar’s Feast and The Storm on the Sea of Galilee); Georgia is excited to have witnessed a miracle of Jesus’ in one of the paintings; In the later painting, Jesus stares at Vincent and he feels like Jesus could see all of the parts of his soul and expected Jesus to look away in disgust, but has an idea of the new person he’d like to be and Jesus nods in approval (he whispers Thank you to Jesus); In the author’s note, she says about creating being one way we exhibit the image of God; Mentions of God, Jesus, & forgiveness; Mentions of those & events in the Bible (and paintings of them); Mentions of churches in paintings; Mentions of callings (to be a Restorationsts or a calling from God); A few mentions of a woman (Lilias Trotter) who went to help people in Africa because God called her to do that; A couple mentions of Heaven & angels (thinking a place and someone are those, but are not actually); A mention of someone Thanking God; A mention of God’s art (creation);
*Note: Vincent becomes in a trace when looking at some paintings (Georgia says it’s like he’s under a spell) and after touching them, is able to go into the painting (called “Traveling” and is a hereditary ability that his family can do; Those who use it for good are called the “Restorationsts” and those who use it to destroy or alter paintings are called “Distortionists”); Restorationsts have different Gifts that can help them restore a painting (Navigation that remember all the details of paintings and where they are currently stored, Restorer who can fix a painting from inside or outside, Artists who are able to paint whatever they envision and it come to life, etc.); Distortionists steal art, create propaganda and destabilize societies with the gift of Traveling into a painting (they alter the paintings to spread hatred and distrust which make people susceptible to misinformation and can go as far as leading others to do shootings or terrorism); Even though Georgia says there’s no such thing as magic, Vincent calls Traveling magic and the paintings magical often & adds that he feels likes he’s been told that magic was real and he was a wizard (which he thinks should make him feel amazing, but feels nauseated because of falling into a painting); The phrases “magic” and “magical” are used often about Traveling into paintings, but it’s written as more of a genetic ability (“magic running through his blood”) than spells; *Spoiler* There are random children that are able to fall into paintings that are called “Wanderers” that a villain has “rescued” (kidnapped) and teaches him to deface and alter paintings *End of Spoiler*; Vincent paints in anger of a scary dragon and it scares him because of the potential for evil in his heart; When Vincent gets handed art tools to use with his Gift, he wonders where the magic wands and stones of power were instead; Vincent calls the hand writing on the wall in the painting Belshazzar’s Feast a “wizard hand” and Georgia corrects it to “Angel hand”; *Spoiler* Towards the end, Vincent finds out his Gift is being an Artist and is able to paint things such as getting out of a hole by painting a ladder and painting a gag over a villain’s mouth to stop them from talking *End of Spoiler*; Georgia teases Lili about the boogeyman and doing what she’s told or she’ll vanish (Vincent tells her not to scare Lili because she easily has bad dreams); Mentions of evil & those with evil intent; Mentions of paintings with fantastical creatures (like unicorns and dragons); A mention of an artist haunting their paintings; A mention of dial-up being called “Stone-Age internet”.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘darn’, a ‘gosh darn it’ (said by an adult), an ‘idiot’, a ‘shush’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stinking’, a ‘what in tarnation’, an unfinished ‘what in the…’, two ‘heck’s (said by an adult), three ‘dumb’s, three ‘stupid’s; Some name-calling between Vincent and Georgia (“idiot” and “dumb”); Eye rolling & Sarcasm (between pre-teens); Vincent and Georgia yell at each other a couple of times when emotions are high; Vincent attempts to eavesdrop on adults’ conversations but stops before he is caught; Vincent has a bit of an attitude for the beginning of the book (thinking about his mom and Uncle Leo bugging/pestering and lecturing him about painting again, thinking his second cousin is a weird homeschooler and looks like a homeless person because of the mud all over her, and is rude to another boy); Vincent fells like his parents have lied about his talent in painting and is very upset and hurt by it (thinking he can’t trust what his mom says and that he isn’t good enough; *Spoiler* after entering a school art contest and his classmate taunting him about his art piece, this led Vincent to believe that he wasn’t a good artist and that all parents “told their kids they were good at something when they weren’t” *End of Spoiler*); A couple talks about some people painting for their pride and praise from others and other painters painting just for art and for others to experience it (this is a realizes for Vincent as he realizes that he wanted people to praise him); There is an adult that badmouths Vincent’s mom a bit and also tempts Vincent to join her side, but he recognizes that she has evil intent (*Spoiler* she does taunt him into painting a picture that brings out all of his anger towards everyone and everything, and he feels powerful but also terrified because that’s not who he wants to be *End of Spoiler*; Vincent thinks about getting adults to help him and Georgia, *Spoiler* but it ends up having to be all done by both of them because there aren’t adults available to help *End of Spoiler*; Vincent doesn’t want to be a hero, he just wants his family safe, but Georgia and Lili want to help others (*Spoiler* he does go back and help the other kidnapped children when he realizes he made a mistake in leaving them *End of Spoiler*); Georgia acts like a know-it-all at times *Spoiler* but it turns out she’s never been on a mission because her parents won’t let her because of the dangers, so she has been determined to prove herself to her parents; At the end, her parents allow her to start training for missions *End of Spoiler*; A villain’s minion tases Vincent and he feels pain before passing out (up to semi-detailed); Fighting/Sparring & Pain (including playing dirty, up to semi-detailed); There are a few close calls in the paintings (dangerous situations but do not feel very scary; including seeing someone going underwater, being chased by a creepy guard that has been given an evil face by the Distortionsts (Vincent and Georgia capture the guard and have to scrape the paint off of his face, barely-above-not-detailed), and being stuck in a black hole); Vincent is told that if they die in a painting, they die (not like a video game where they could try again; Georgia says she won’t let fear decide what she’s going to do); A lesson on creating booby traps and wrecking paintings by a villain group; A boy thwacks another boy on the back of the head; Many mentions of stolen paintings, stealing, robberies, thieves, & criminals; Mentions of a fire & deaths (Uncle Leo comments on the art that was in the home being such a loss, but Vincent comments on the lives that were lost were more important); Mentions of World War II, Nazis, & swastika (some Distortionsts painted them into a picture to change what a person feels when looking at the picture); Mentions of kidnappings & kidnapped children being kept in a prison/institution-like place; Mentions of children being threatened with being tased by the villain’s minions; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of graffiti & littering (including a few mentions of cusswords being painted in paintings to deface them); Mentions of the bad guys using art to control people (their emotions to lead them into causing trouble); A few mentions of terrorism; A few mentions of almost drownings; A few mentions of rumors (including one that the villains will beat the kidnapped children if they try to runaway and their injuries); A few mentions of fighting dirty & cheating in a sparring match; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of meanness from classmates; A few mentions of nightmares/bad dreams; A couple mentions of a massacre; A couple mentions of thinking someone was dead (in a dangerous situation); A couple mentions of protesters throwing food at priceless paintings; A couple mentions of arrests; A couple mentions of pipes & smoking; A mention of someone having another’s hide if something went wrong; A mention of shootings; A mention of a Mexican cartel; A mention of the mob; A mention of bloody paintings;
*Note: Vincent plays video games and really enjoys them (including playing with friends and mentions of Minecraft, Tetris, & Zelda); Vincent is twelve years old and has a cell phone (he plays games on it); Georgia is homeschooled but calls it “road-schooled” because her and her parents are always on the road (she takes online classes and seems sad about not having in-real-life friends, which Vincent thinks it would be miserable to not have friends you could see most days; When Vincent asks if her hobby of pottery is what “all the cool homeschoolers do”, Georgia shares she doesn’t care about being cool because it’s more important to do what you like and not worry what others think); The word “cops” is used more than “police” when referring to law enforcement; All about many, many mentions of artists & paintings (Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Paul Cezanne, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lilias Trotter, Leonardo da Vinci, Artemisia Gentileschi, Adelaide Labille-Guiard, Norman Rockwell, M. C. Escher, Rembrandt, Pissarro, Manet, & Jules Dupre); A couple mentions of a suicide mission; A couple mentions of zombies; A mention of a picture of creepy gravestones; A mention of wine (in a painting); A mention of a place being “for hicks”; A mention of Wikipedia; A mention of YouTube; A mention of Romeo and Juliet; A mention of Vincent not wanting Lili to ever feel scared again about her new family disappearing like she did when she first came home.


Sexual Content- See Note below;
*Note: Mentions of nude paintings (which Vincent does not want to go Travel into and when Georgia asks if he’s scared about that, he thinks that he’s seen pictures of nude paintings before but it made him uncomfortable and it’s gross to pose for something like that; Georgia says that she hadn’t thought of it like that and “naked people are part of art. You get used to it. But maybe that’s not a good thing.”; They go through the painting with something over their heads to cover most of the view; In the author’s note at the end, she says if you research paintings, there may be paintings or sketches of nude, but that doesn’t mean you have to look at any art that makes you uncomfortable and have a parent help when searching for images because there’s a lot of great art and she would hate for someone to miss out on it just to avoid those few that have naked people in them).

-Vincent, age 12
P.O.V. of Vincent
305 pages

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Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Four Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars

I’m instantly interested in any new Christian Middle-Grade book releasing because there aren’t many published nowadays, but I was especially interested in this book due to the mention of being good for fans of the secular middle-grade series, “Pages and Co” (which I enjoyed until LGTBQ content was added in)—and I can see why it’s aimed for fans of that series because it’s very similar in the world and creativity and villains.

I had very high hopes for this book and they decently met them. I do have some things to note, though.

There isn’t much Christian Faith content throughout this story. There are a couple paintings that Vincent and Georgia go into are of Biblical events including one depicting a miracle of Jesus’ (Belshazzar’s Feast and The Storm on the Sea of Galilee). We have more faith content towards the very end because of that painting and Vincent feelings as if Jesus in the painting sees his soul and when Jesus doesn’t turn away in disgust, Vincent has an image of what kind of person he wants to be. A few mentions of God and Jesus elsewise throughout the story.

While the words “magic” and “magical” are used often (by Vincent, because Georgia says that there’s no such thing as magic), the ability to fall into paintings is said to be genetic. *Spoiler* There are random children that are able to fall into paintings that are called “Wanderers” that a villain has “rescued” (kidnapped) and teaches him to deface and alter paintings *End of Spoiler*

Some parents might not like the lack of good adults (or even just adults) in this book. Vincent is also hurt by his mom always telling him he’s a good artist, but then he “learns the truth” when his classmates taunt him for one of his paintings; that happened about a year and a half before this book starts and Vincent now doesn’t paint or fully trust his parents when they tell him something. It’s noted that it could have been because they thought they were protecting him, but it “wrecked his trust”. We never see a conclusion or discussion about his feelings with his parents about this except for at the very end when his mom says they wanted to keep him safe by not telling him about these abilities *Spoiler* Vincent responds by saying he wants to paint again and be trained to be a Restorationist *End of Spoiler*.

Good vs evil shown and even though Vincent is tempted by an offer, he realizes that person has evil intent and does not allow himself to be swayed, realizing himself that that person doesn’t have his interests at heart nor is a good person.

My favorite part of this book was seeing Vincent and his little sister’s relationship (six year age gap) and seeing how much he cares for her (she was adopted three years prior from China and he says that some people think it’s weird that they’re so close, but she’s still his sister regardless). He’s very protective of her and there’s no name calling between them, which I really appreciated seeing a healthy sibling dynamic and loved those parts.

All of this said, I would most likely try out the next book in the series when it releases, but this is also one I could see why some families may avoid and others may enjoy.



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Waterbrook) for this honest review.

The best part of reading Carolyn Leiloglou's Beneath the Swirling Sky was getting a lesson on art and artists in a story setting. Vincent and Lili are spending time with their art restorer Uncle in his house with art on every wall. When Lili disappears into one of the paintings, Vincent and his cousin Georgia are off on an adventure to find her and learn more about his families history as Restorationists. The mysteries are engaging and the characters are too.

This book is full of adventure and action with just enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. This is a new to me author and I can't wait to read more of her books.
I received a complimentary copy from WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beneath the Swirling Sky is a fun but also reflective middle grade book.

We meet Vincent who is being driven towards their great-uncle for their vacation with his adoptive sister Lili. Their parents are taking a cruise and think this vacation is a great way for Vincent's great-uncle to get Vincent back into painting. Too bad that Vincent absolutely does not want that to happen.

On the surface this book seems like an easy way to get kids more interested in art and to get them to learn a little about it. But beneath that surface I think this book is also reflective. Kids who might have been ridiculed for their hobby at school like Vincent, will find a lot of understanding in this book. Adults don't often understand what happens to their kid in those situations. And while this book focuses on painting and paintings, there is an open door to other arts and crafts being just as great and just as creative and just as 'art' as paiting. Like Georgia and her pottery.

What was a downside to this book however was that the only relationship that felt developed was the one between Georgia and Vincent. It was clearly to focal point. I didn't quite feel the relationship, the great one as said by text, that Vincent and his younger sister had or that Georgia had spend a lot of time with their great-uncle. I hope that in its sequel, that I expect is coming, this will be remedied.

This was a really fun story! I loved the descriptions of the different paintings and the way the characters could travel in and through them. Vincent struggles with self-doubt as an artist, so at first, he resists interacting with the paintings at his uncle’s house. But as he continues to feel a pull toward the art, he gradually recognizes that as part of his unique gifts.

I liked the relationship between Georgia and Vincent, too. She was bold and open, and they made a great team together.

The author’s note at the end of the book makes it pretty clear the author did a LOT of research for this story. I loved the attention to detail that she put into this. The paintings that appear in a private home are all privately owned. Those that appear at museums are museum-owned, though she says museums do trade their paintings around sometimes. I wouldn’t have stopped to really think about it, but I liked knowing that the author did consider where the real originals of those paintings actually are and made it part of the story.

All in all, I liked this one a lot. It sounds like a series opener, so I hope there are future stories about Vincent and his family to come.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and WaterBrook Multnomah for an advanced e-book copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!

12-year-old Vincent used to love art--but not anymore, not since the "incident". He doesn't want to have anything to do with art ever again. Too bad for Vincent that his parents have dropped him and his sister, Lili, off for a stay at their art conservator great-uncle Leo's house where they are surrounded by art. Not until Lili disappears one night does Vincent learn from their precocious second-cousin, Georgia, that he in fact comes from a line of Restorationists with the ability to travel in and out of paintings, destined to save the world from the Distortionists who would use art as a means to foster negativity. Together they take a journey to save Lili at all costs!

I appreciated this book for what it is: A relatively fast-paced adventure story with a bit of magic that serves as a vehicle to celebrate the important place that art holds in our world. I hope its core message will speak to many kids. Still, I did not find it to be quite the page-turner that others did. I chalk this up to the fact that I did not care for Vincent's voice as our main character narrator. From the start of the story, Vincent is fighting an internal battle about his relationship to art because of the "incident", and this battle goes on for so long and feels so unnecessarily fraught that by the time the details are revealed--this character point fell flat. Did this incident from his past really justify his overall negative attitude and sometimes whiny tone? Perhaps a young reader would empathize with him more than I was able to.

I enjoyed the story overall, but I was distracted by some choices made by the author. Nearly all of the art references throughout the book are Western artists. Why not explore a wider away of art, artists, and cultures? Vincent's adopted sister, Lili, is a transracial adoptee--a point that is mentioned only in passing but not in any way explored. There has been scholarly work done in recent years looking at depictions of transracial adoption in children's literature (see the work of Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen), and it is a complicated issue. I wish Lili's character would have been more developed. And finally, there is a brief mention of nudity in art near the end of the book that felt unnecessarily preachy. Why even suggest that nudity in art could or should make one feel uncomfortable? It almost felt like a veild commentary on pornography (which art is not).

I am confident that this book has its reader, and I am giving it 3 stars for its vision, creativity, and mostly solid pacing.

DNF 17% through.
There was nothing wrong with this book, but I just realised it wasn't for me. Although I often enjoy middle grade books, I realised that for this one specifically I wasn't the target audience. I'm dnf-ing it because I just did not feel like I would enjoy the rest of it. I'm sure it would have gotten more of my attention if I'd pushed through, I just don't have the motivation to push through every book I read, so some must fall to the wayside.
However, it definitely felt like a book I would have loved when I was a child. I'm sure it would have been a favourite as a kid, but unfortunately it did not captivate me enough as an adult.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Book 1 in a thrilling middle grade series that makes art accessible through a fab fantasy tale for young readers and adults young at heart. Highly recommended!

It would be great to be able to travel into a painting but there could be some risks as it happens in this story.
I loved this story as it's compelling and well plotted. It kept me reading and I liked the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved reading this book! The way the author describes the paintings when Vincent and Georgia enter them, it makes them feel like a new world or other dimension. I feel that this book would make any reader, young or old, want to do more research or gain more knowledge of art, it did me. Reading the author’s note gave more insight into how she developed this story, and appreciate this book even more. I agree that from Hitler to the climate change terrorist, art is being used politically. This is a unique, exciting story. I hope, and will definitely be anticipating more in what I hope is a new series.

"Beneath the Swirling Sky" is a brilliant representation of the intrinsic power of art and the ageless importance of creativity. The first in "The Restorationists," a new series by Carolyn Leiloglou, it's YA fiction that should be read by all ages.

Carolyn skillfully weaves historic details about artists and their pieces into a fantasy tale that will captivate young and old. I learned about Van Gogh and his "Starry Night" along with other artists I'd barely heard of. And the illustrations from Vivienne To really make the book come alive!

As a second-generation homeschool mom, I especially appreciated the way Carolyn portrayed the homeschooled heroine. I also enjoyed the sibling and cousin relationships between Vincent, Lili, and Georgia.

But what I loved best about "Beneath a Swirling Sky" was the way it so beautifully portrayed how "art expresses beauty and truth."

Well done, Carolyn! I can't wait to read the next book.

I really enjoyed this middle school book and would recommend it for my students, especially those who are interested in art. I think it would work great for a collaborative project between disciplines that would include art. It would definitely be perfect for homeschool families or coops who want to tie together art, science, history, and religion. I love the magic set-up in this world where Restorationists are a select (and secret) group of people who can travel through paintings and restore paintings from the inside. Vincent and his sister who know nothing about this magical world, are staying with their elderly uncle who they know only as a renowned art restorer. Vincent's cousin is also staying with him while her parents a traveling for work though she seems to be much more aware of everything that is going on. Before long, Vincent and his cousin and sister are sucked into this world and they have to learn to work together to get back home safely.

As a book about art and artists, I also enjoyed the illustrations that were sprinkled throughout the book. This was an Advanced Review Copy, so I'm not sure if the illustrations will be colored for the final product, but even in monochromatic tones, I thought they added to my reading experience.

I loved how the author tried to get into the mind of the artist, as well as the reasons for doing art, even as Vincent struggles with his own past bad experiences with art. While his cousin Georgia is described as a "know-it-all" in the blurb, I really thought that both she and Vincent needed work through their own growing pains and learning to work together and talk to each other was key for each of them. In the end, I liked both of them and I am looking forward to the next book already.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Though named after Vincent van Gogh and loving to paint when he was younger, 13-year-old Vincent wants nothing to do with art anymore, after realizing that he’s not as good as he hoped he’d be. So when his parents leave him with his great-uncle Leo, a painting restorer, during spring break, Vincent expects to be bored. He expects to be lectured about art. What he doesn’t expect is to fall into a painting of van Gogh’s STARRY NIGHT and find out that he has the ability to travel through paintings. Then his little sister gets lost inside the same painting, and it’s up to Vincent and his strange cousin Georgia to find her.

Full disclosure: I am not an art lover; in fact, I’ve never had more than a cursory interest in even famous paintings. Yet I really enjoyed this book and can say that one does not need to be really into van Gogh, Rembrandt, etc. to read and like the book. The author does a good job of allowing the reader to tap into the enthusiasm of the characters in the book, even Vincent, who tries to convince himself he doesn’t care about art anymore. The focus on that in the narration got a little repetitive and almost caused me to lower my rating by half a star. However, the story and characters outside of that, and the payoff to Vincent’s attempt at being dispassionate about art are all wonderful, so I couldn’t bear to give the book anything less than 5 stars.

As Vincent and Georgia try to track down Vincent’s little sister, they come across others that can travel through paintings—others whose intentions are not exactly noble. And Vincent comes face-to-face with his own worst qualities in a very real way. But in a fantastical twist, he also comes face-to-face with the One who sees everything he is and still loves him. I don’t want to say anymore about this, because it was the absolute high point of the book for me, the moment that I knew I was going to recommend this book to everyone, young and old, and that I will read it again and again in the future.

This is such an amazing book that connects Christianity and art. So excited for the print version and I'm so happy to be part of the prerelease team!

My 10 year old son and I both read this galley and we both loved it. He slightly more than I did, but that's okay! I think this would be a great read-aloud, especially for a homeschool family that is studying impressionists. In fact, now that I say so... I'm off to put it in my readaloud stack!