Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci

by Gene Barretta, Gene Barretta (Illustrator)

Overview

In 1781, Thomas Paine came up with a model for a single-span bridge; in 1887, Adolf Eugen Fick made the first pair of contact lenses; and in 1907, Paul Cornu built the first helicopter. But Leonardo da Vinci thought of all these ideas more than five hundred years ago!

At once an artist, inventor, engineer, and scientist, da Vinci wrote and drew detailed descriptions of what would later become hang gliders, automobiles, robots, and much more. Gene Barretta cleverly shows how Leonardo’s ideas—many inspired by his love of nature—foreshadowed modern inventions, offering a window into the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250079602
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	06/21/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	111,085
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

GENE BARRETTA has written and illustrated several award-winning books for young readers, including Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin and Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones. He lives inWynnewood, Pennsylvania, with his family.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2–5—Similar in format and style to Now & Ben (Holt, 2006), this book focuses on sketches found in Leonardo's writings that reveal an understanding of inventions that would not come into being until hundreds of years after the death of this quintessential Renaissance man. Vivid watercolor illustrations depict more than a dozen, including the hang glider, contact lenses, the tank, and robots. Each facing page appears as a sheet of notes revealing Leonardo's version, which is usually quite similar to the one we know today. Each page of Leonardo's notes contains a few short lines printed in reverse, and an author's note explains how a mirror can be used to view this writing style used by the inventor himself. Barretta provides clear information without veering into scientific explanations. Readers who most closely associate Leonardo with the Mona Lisa will be inspired by the breadth of his interests and the genius of his observations. This accessible introduction will inspire children to look closely at the world around them and come up with some creations of their own.—Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO

School Library Journal

In a format similar to his Now and Ben (2003), Barretta points out the links between one man's genius and the development of a varied catalogue of creations. The author acknowledges that many of the ideas mentioned never bore fruit during Leonardo's lifetime, but drawings and information from his numerous notebooks show that he did indeed posit possible predecessors to such disparate items as parachutes, armored tanks, scuba gear and rotisserie cookers. The colorful, cartoon-style illustrations show an elderly Leonardo observing the world around him and/or testing his theories on the right side while the left-hand pages reveal the (relatively) modern ideas and inventions to which parallels are being drawn. The pictures also offer sly humor (look for the Mona Lisa enjoying a plate of spaghetti) and hint at the level of sophistication required from readers. The text likewise challenges the notion that all picture books are for primary grades with a high-level vocabulary and the inclusion of explanatory notes written backwards, just as Leonardo himself wrote. Energetic, engaging and eclectic-just like its subject. (Informational picture book. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews