My Name Is Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo was one of the greatest figures of the Italian Renaissance. Born in 1452 in the town of Vinci, he first made his reputation as an artist in Florence. But he was also a pioneer in modern science, a student of human anatomy, and an inventor of devices that were used in his day as military weapons. He is perhaps best known today for his painting of the Mona Lisa, which now hangs in the Louvre in Paris, and for his fresco of The Last Supper, located in Milan. Older boys and girls will find hours of reading pleasure in the very accessible biographies in the My Name Is ... series. The narratives are substantial, averaging roughly 7,500 words each, as they recount their subjects’ accomplishments in the context of their times and historical backgrounds. Each book’s narrative is supplemented with handsome full-color illustrations, including some of full-page size. Titles in this series make ideal additions both to school and home libraries, and can serve as supplementary reading for classroom discussion and essay projects. A two-page time line at the back of each book summarizes the subject’s life, as well as important cultural and historical events that occurred during his lifetime.