From armored tanks and gliders to "plastic glass" and drawing machines, this interactive book explores the incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects and activities. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime and remained sketches in his famous notebooks; kids examine some of these original sketches and learn about the models he made of his inventions. From there they delve into detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for each project, which are interspersed with historical facts, biographical anecdotes, and trivia. Most of the building can be done using simple household supplies: construction paper, tape, markers, glue, cardboard tubes, aluminum foil, and cardboard boxes. Background about the Renaissance as a period of remarkable achievement in art and science appears throughout the book.
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Anderson has combined biography with doable activities that mirror ideas found in Leonardo's notebooks. Using common household objects (duct tape, foil, cereal boxes, paper-towel tubes, etc.), readers can make a parachute, hydrometer, invisible ink, walk-on-water shoes, etc. Anderson introduces each project with an explanation of why Leonardo came up with the idea and whether he created just the sketch or the sketch and the object. Detailed steps and illustrations provide clarity. Adult supervision is noted where appropriate. Readers will probably be more interested in the activities than in Leonardo's life and the Renaissance background that Anderson provides, but this title will be a welcome addition to schools in which cross-curricular teaming is in place. Science classes can re-create Leonardo's ideas while English classes can read excerpts from his notebooks and history classes can discuss the Renaissance.-Delia Carruthers, Sunset Ridge Middle School, West Jordan, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Anderson regales us with tales of Leonardo's brilliant, often mischievous nature, and the nearly unfathomable range of his inventions." —The New York Times Book Review
"More than an activity book, this nifty volume explores Leonardo's life, times and endless imagination." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Will keep the kids occupied with constructive activities and is sure to spur on their own creative inventions." —Old Schoolhouse Magazine
"This is a book of fun and creativity." —Children's Literature
"Bring[s] an immediacy to da Vinci's life and work." —Publishers Weekly
"Creative, curiosity-provoking, informational, and just plain fun—kids will find it irresistible." —Home Education Magazine
"The book is perfect for capturing a middle schooler's attention! Highly recommended." —Science Books and Films
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hands on History,
This review is from: Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) (Paperback)
We are homeschoolers using this book in part of a unit on Inventors. My eight year old is able to read and enjoy the history behind the different inventions. I thought it would just be a "how to" book, but we are both really enjoying the well written historical information in this book. It really makes Leonardo and the world he lived in come alive. I like to just browse through the book and look at all of Leonardo's sketches as well.
The pictures and instructions are fairly easy to follow. The inventions do use common items, but we don't always have the right "common" items at the right times. We have modified most of the directions to use what we actually have in our house. Today we wanted to make the camera obscura, but we just threw out our last empty Pringles can... guess we'll be eating lots of chips in the next week :)
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!,
By Andrea D. Lopez (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) (Paperback)
I purchased this book after I saw the "Leonardo di Vinci" exhibit at my local museum. This particular exhibt showcased his inventions, not his artwork. There were many full size replicas of machines that he thought of that were actually built for this exhibit. I was intrigued by the bridge that could be built with just a few stick and got stronger the more weight you put on it. After putting the dowel sized replica together at the exhibit, I had to have one for myself to build. That's the primary reason I purchased this book. Now that I have it in my hands, I've been going over the different activities I can do with my baby siblings, and I'm so excited I have this book in hand. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in "how things work" and science in general.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring,
By sweet pea (La Mirada, CA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) (Paperback)
We received this book within five days, and before the sun set that afternoon, my nine-year-old grandson had constructed three sizes of the trebuchet by following the instructions.
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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