Leonardo and the Flying Boy (Anholt's Artists Books for Children)

I can't say enough good about this series. It is a creative way to introduce kids to these artists. They are written to be kids stories and entertain while throwing in some information about who the artist is, to show the artists' general style and introduce some specific works by the artist. My daughter is 5. She soaks this stuff in. I think she would have been able to be as receptive to the stories at age 4 and maybe just earlier than that but it would have been pushing the envelope. I suspect she will enjoy the stories for another couple years. It has lead us to google some of the actual artists' works. My daughter now wants to find some museums that have some of the pieces that are addressed in the books.

My son (three) already has a great love of reading and history in part due to Anholt's series. Like all Anholt's work, Leonardo and the Flying Boy is an historical, entertaining, and exciting read. Anholt always chooses a specific story about his subject and provides a fuller biographical overview outside of the story's text at the end. This is a wonderful tool that helps keep wandering attention spans focused. The specific story in this case is Zoraste de Peretolo's "flight" from Mount Ceccero in one of Leonardo Da Vinci's many flying devices. Anholt manages to incorporate loads of interesting facts about Da Vinci while keeping the story (and child's focus) flowing. At our house, we are big fans.

My almost 5-year-old and I love the series of books by Laurence Anholt that covers art appreciation, featuring different artists, such as Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Matisse, and here, Leonardo da Vinci. Young children will discover the many talents of Leonardo da Vinci who was a painter, sculptor, musician, and scientist. It's an inspiring read for both young children and adults, and the story of da Vinci is told in an easy to understand manner, portraying the many talents of a genius. The illustrations by author-artist Laurence Anholt are captivating as usual, with bold use of colors. The story itself borders on the fantastic at times, especially with the depictions of the flying machines (one of da Vinci's inventions),and is a great way to inspire young children to dream the impossible and attain great 'heights'!

Laurence Anholt's series of famous artists always delights my art students with its wonderful drawings, lovely stories, and on target knowledge of art history. Great job.