The artist and me

Name: The artist and me
Author: Shane Peacock
ISBN: 9781771471381

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Shane Peacock

Illustrated by Sophie Casson

Reading Level 2-3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 5-8 Heads Up

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The boy who laughed at the redheaded painter in Arles has a surprise waiting: he is the one telling this story, and it is a confession. Everyone in town mocked Vincent van Gogh and his wild, colorful paintings, but the boy who joined in never expected one quiet moment alone with the artist to change everything. Once he sees the world through someone else's eyes, he can't unsee it, but that's only the beginning.

Themes

Historical Coming of Age Friendship

Quick Assessment

A boy confesses how he copied the adults around him by mocking and bullying Vincent van Gogh, an eccentric painter in 1880s France, until he faces the artist alone and begins to see things differently. Bullying is the central emotional content, with name-calling and laughter shown as hurtful, and there is no physical violence. The story closes on a clear message about empathy and respecting different points of view, making it a good starting point for talking with children about how their words affect others.

Why we rated The artist and me ME (Moderate)

The artist and me is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 42 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 4 and up can manage The artist and me on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The artist and me as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying.

Thematically, The artist and me explores historical, coming of age, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, coming of age, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.