Leonardo Da Vinci (What Made Them Great Series) [Library Binding]

Norman V. Marshall (Author), Noemi Vicini Marri (Author), Aldo Ripamonti (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: What Made Them Great Series

A biography of the fifteenth-century genius, from his childhood to his death.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- The shortcomings of these biographies become apparent as readers come to the last section. There, where excerpts from primary sources are the focus, Magellan, Schweitzer, and Da Vinci come alive. The bulk of what has come before, however, depends more on dramatization and dialogue, with abrupt transitions between chapters and sketchy or incomplete information. The Leopard Society in Lambarene, for example, is mentioned without explanation, and Da Vinci begins with an awkward flashback. Even the journal and autobiographical excerpts are not without problems. Schweitzer's views on colonialism are introduced with the comment: "Remember that these are the words of a man writing early in the twentieth century." What will that mean to young readers? Flat, textbook-like pictures fill the pages. In Da Vinci, they are a poor substitute for the artist's own work. The few postage-stamp size illustrations and reproductions that correspond to a chronology of historical and cultural events are haphazard and at times look like irrelevant afterthoughts. One photo and caption appear twice in Schweitzer. The term "greedy savages" appears in Magellan ; its absence of maps is inexcusable in a work for this age level. --Susan Schuller, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 104 pages
• Publisher: Silver Burdett Pr (July 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0382099826
• ISBN-13: 978-0382099823
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,125,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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