Leonardo Da Vinci (Tell Me About...(Carolrhoda)) [Hardcover]

John Malam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1999 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Tell Me About...(Carolrhoda)

A biography of the Italian Renaissance artist and inventor who was recognized as one of the cleverest men of his time.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-In each of these volumes, the clear, precise text is accompanied by relevant illustrations and portraits. Sufficient factual information is offered so readers meet the artists in their historic and cultural milieu and develop a sense of appreciation for their ideas and masterpieces. The author also relates stories from the subjects' lives that would be especially interesting to youngsters. He writes of Leonardo da Vinci's picture of a dragon "...that was so realistic it scared his father," and of his habit of writing backwards. Of Pieter Bruegel, he notes that the artist was said to enjoy frightening "...people, even his own pupils, with all kinds of spooks and uncanny noises." Artwork includes full-color and black-and-white reproductions and photographs.
Patricia Mahoney Brown, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In this entry in the Tell Me About series of biographies, Malam concentrates more on da Vinci's work than on the man. Although readers may more readily know da Vinci as the painter of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, this book includes his years as a designer of weapons for the duke of Milan. Shown are sketches from his notebooks of a giant crossbow, guns, and the machinery of war. Leonardo's genius as an inventor is not overlooked, nor is his interest in the human body: ``He cut up many dead bodies and made detailed drawings of their working parts.'' There are full-color photographs and illustrations of the homes and locales where da Vinci lived, as well as reproductions of a handful of famous paintings, drawings for sculptures, and pages from his notebooks, attractively arranged against marblized backgrounds. (chronology, glossary, index) (Biography. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575053675
• ISBN-13: 978-1575053677
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,055,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Malam attended the University of Birmingham before working in publishing. He is now a writer and editor with over 20 years experience in producing books for children. He lives in Cheshire with his family.