Considered by some children's book authorities to be the d'Aulaire's finest work, this biography of Leif Erickson, son of Eric the Red, best exemplifies the artist's skill in Norwegian folk art, style, and history. Their well-researched text is lavishly illustrated with Viking rune-like carvings, from the dragon prow of the ship that Leif must hurry to remove, lest it anger the spirits of the land, to the stave churches so unique to Norway. Landscapes depict emerald green fjords against floes of ice and mountains of snow. The grand halls of King Olav Trygvason are ornamented with carvings of Nordic mythical creatures while tame polar bear cubs romp and play. In this setting the young Leif grows to manhood and learns the skills of navigation, sailing his own ship when just a teen from Greenland to Norway. It is on his return journey that he discovers a new land—what we now know to be Newfoundland. Later he sends settlers there—actually establishing a colony. His tale is aptly and authentically told in the d'Aulaires's inimitable style.
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About the Author
After the publication of Ola in 1932, the work of Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire has needed no introduction - their beautiful picture books have delighted countless children ever since. Ingri Mortenson and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire met in Munich where both were studying art in the 1920's. Ingri had grown up in Norway; Edgar, the son of a noted portrait painter, was born in Switzerland and had lived in Paris and Florence. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to the United States and began to create the picture books that have established their reputation for unique craftsmanship. Their books were known for their vivid lasting color. a result of the pain-staking process of stone lithography used for all their American history biographies. This was an old world craft in which they were both expert, which involved actually tracing their images on large slabs of Bavarian limestone. Throughout their long careers, Ingri and Edgar worked as a team on both art and text. Their research took them to the actual places of their biographies, including the countries of Italy, Portugal and Spain when they were researching Columbus; to the hills of Virginia while they researched Washington; and to the wilds of Kentucky and Illinois for Abraham Lincoln, winner of the Caldecott Medal. The fact that they spoke 5 languages fluently served them well in their European travels and in their research of original documents. Since their deaths in the 1980's, Ingri and Edgar's books and works have been kept alive by their two sons Ola and Nils.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Rea C. Berg
Format:Paperback
This fascinating biography of Leif Erickson is another classic work by the D'Aulaires. Lavishly illustrated with their wonderful lithographs it accurately relates the adventurous tale of the young Viking explorer, his conversion to Christianity, and his colonization of North America. A must for anyone studying the age of exploration!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By hmbnd2
Format:Paperback
We loved this book! The illustrations were so rich in color! The pages were alternated between black and white and color. The story was so interesting. I seriously do not remember studying about the Vikings in school! Do you? What a great introduction!
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Kaye Fink
Format:Library Binding
Leif the Lucky was the first book of our American History curriculum and we fully enjoyed it. It brought many questions to our minds including what happened to the Viking race?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Paints an unrealistic picture
I was not impressed with this book. The images seemed so beautiful but the storyline was just awful. I am tired of hearing about how rude and savage and brutish the Vikings were. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Lady Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love Leif the Lucky
My 7 year old loves this book. We are homeschooling with Beautiful Feet Books. She feels she has learned more about history than she did last year when she was sharing curriculum... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kristi B
4.0 out of 5 stars
Introductory material written in story format
I thought this book was a good introduction for my 2nd and 5th graders for the Beautiful Feet American History series, but I was expecting more history that was not detailed. Read more
Published on October 15, 2010 by T. Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still in Print After Nearly Seventy Years
Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire first published "Leif the Lucky" in 1941. It has been nearly seventy years and the book is still in print. Read more
Published on August 28, 2010 by Marco Antonio Abarca
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book
We received the book very quickly. It's beautiful and my 5 year old son was delighted by both the pictures and the story.
Published on May 12, 2010 by Lisa L. Max
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tale of Leif Erickson and Eric the Red
A wonderful old book about Vikings with rich colorful illustrations. Leif Erickson is the young son of Eric the Red, a viking leader. Read more
Published on April 19, 2010 by microjoe
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, but wordy
I love these books by these authors. They're just a tad wordy for the average student. When I homeschooled---well that's a different story. My children LOVED these books! Read more
Published on January 1, 2010 by D. Wallace
4.0 out of 5 stars
8 year old boy
Leif the Lucky is about Leif Ericksson when he found "Wineland".
Leif the Lucky is about Leif Ericksson and his adventures. Read more
Leif the Lucky is about Leif Ericksson and his adventures. Read more
Published on September 22, 2006
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