Leonardo da Vinci (Little People, Big Dreams series) by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

This is a terrific introduction to one of the world’s best-known artists, Leonardo da Vinci, who showed curiosity and fascination with the world from an early age.

His mind was always full of questions, like how a bat could stay in the air or what made a star glow.

Da Vinci’s artistic talent was evident from childhood. The book shows da Vinci’s young friend gasping in surprise at Leonardo’s detailed drawing of a cricket, which is much more realistic than the friend’s sketch. Many of da Vinci’s key works are covered, as well as his progression from apprentice to a renowned, multi-talented artist and creator.

The illustrations are fabulous, bringing to life the era in which da Vinci grew up – showing, for example, how he worked by candlelight, the busy marketplace and turreted towers in his hometown of Vinci, and the long robes and caps worn by da Vinci, his friends and fellow artists. We see the quill pens, brushes and paint palette that da Vinci used to write and draw, as well as chisels and other tools used for sculpting. There’s even a simplistic version of da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ – the iconic drawing that depicts ideal human proportions within a circle and a square. Other well-known works portrayed include his sketch of an early helicopter, and his famous mural The Last Supper. And, of course, the Mona Lisa too – which Sánchez Vegara suggests kept da Vinci company on some of his journeys.

Leonardo carried [the Mona Lisa] from place to place, adding tiny touches of paint here and there, always smiling back at her.

The book acknowledges diversity and includes references to da Vinci’s left-handedness and mirror writing. One child in the book uses a wheelchair and another wears glasses, and grandfather Antonio uses a cane. The characters have all sorts of eye-colours and hairstyles. There are many different creatures to spot, including birds, bats, and ladybugs.

I love the image of da Vinci’s mechanical lion, commissioned by French royalty (even though the lilies tumbling from the lion’s wooden tummy look more like daisies than lilies).

…he built a mechanical lion with a heart full of lilies that walked across the room and surprised the King of France.

As in other books in the Little People, Big Dreams series, the book concludes with a concise two-page history that includes key dates as well as photos, and a suggestion for another book that covers da Vinci’s life and legacy in more detail.

A great story to share with any young artist, scientist or budding inventor.

Reviewer: Anne Kerslake Hendricks

Frances  Lincoln Children’s Books