Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci, Written and Illustrated by Diane Stanley, 1996, New York: Harper Collins.  9780688104375.

Age Range: 5-8 years of age. (according to BWI)

Author Webiste: http://dianestanley.com/  

Annotation: Follow the life of the great Leonardo Da Vinci learning about his art, inventions, and travel.

Personal Reaction:  This is an incredibly informative book.  It starts at Leonardo’s birth, and continues all the way until his death.  His life was not one of ease that is for sure.  His father was a wealthy man, but his mother was only a peasant and the two were never married.  Eventually, Leonardo was accepted by his father and taken into his home. 
He eventually apprenticed to a famous artist and he soon blossomed in this field.  He was sought after by many, but it was not his only passion.  Leonardo also had a passion for inventing.  Some inventions included a machine to make metal screws, ski-like shoes for walking on water, an automatic roasting pit, a submarine, a self-closing toilet lid, and a clock that measured minutes as well as hours.  Leonardo lived a life full of traveling and even had a feud with Michelangelo. 
This book is filled with fantastic drawings to accompany the life story of Leonardo Da Vinci.  It appears that at the top of various pages, one can see actual pages from Da Vinci’s personal notebooks.  This is not only an informative read, but one that will challenge and entertain too.

Use of Advanced Language: “But because he was illegitimate, the guild of magistrates and notaries would not accept him.”
“It is hard to imagine the fastidious Leonardo doing such work.”
Curricular connections
Curricular Connection: Seventh Grade:  7.10     Students analyze the historical developments of the Scientific Revolution and its lasting effect on religious, political, and cultural institutions.
2. Understand the significance of the new scientific theories (e.g., those of Copernicus,
Galileo, Kepler, Newton) and the significance of new inventions (e.g., the telescope,
microscope, thermometer, barometer).

Anotation by Loryn Amon, group project