Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Roberta Edwards, Who H.Q., True Kelley (Illustrator)

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters.  Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to.  Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left were thousands of disorganized notebook pages.  Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the Renaissance.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Art, Childrens, Middle Grade, Biography Memoir

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York.

Reviews

[Ali Mahfoodh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo Da Vinci, his name catches me whenever I hear it without actually knowing much about him. This book did a great job as a foothold for me to the man's life. It briefly answered its question (who was Leonardo?) and encouraged me to further and deeper readings about him.

Leonardo was an unwanted illegitimate boy, and both his parents married someone else after a few years. Still, the relation with his father wasn't clear in the book, but after noticing the son's talent in drawing and with his limited options in life, his father arranged for him to be an apprentice to the famous artist Andrea del Verrocchio. The last's studio was in Florence, one of the red-hot centers of the Renaissance. It was a significant milestone for Leonardo, he learned there in the studio of his master for 13 years and he became a master too.
The paintings of his time were only portraits or religious ones, but frescoes, statues, and pottery were also requested. So an apprentice would have a good experience in all those.

The book goes further with his life after that. From moving to Milan and then France, where he had the king as his patron, and also where he died.
All along, the author demonstrated Leonardo's scientific and practical life including his failures, unfinished works due to him not sticking with one project at a time, his famous artworks with the stories behind them, and his valuable notebooks which were written in "mirror writing approach". He designed so many inventions, flying machines, weapons, engineering canals, and even worked to make a robot in 1495! Also, he managed to dissect about 30 bodies which was illegal, and came up with fascinating anatomy sketches.

Apart from that, the book detoured to cover some subjects, milestones of art, and characters of that period like the contest between Leonardo and Michelangelo.
The book's written in a very simple way with illustrations as it's probably more intended for children, but I like how it introduced me to Leonardo Da Vinci through 100 pages, and I would read more from the series.

[Maede · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب زندگینامه‌ی کوتاه و ساده داوینچی از مجموعه‌ی
Who Was
هست. برای من همیشه خوندن‌ راجع به این بشر جذابه و قبلاً هم یک زندگینامه‌ی دیگه درباره‌‌ش خونده بودم و یادآوری خوبی بود. برای این کتاب صوتی هم پیدا کردم که آپلود می‌کنم.

کتاب و صوتیش رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

۱۴۰۳/۱۱/۳

[Ruby Tovar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction biography of Leonardo da Vinci was really interesting. I rated it 4 stars simply because I didn't enjoy it as much as others I have read. Overall, however the information was relevant and driven with quality. I think one really important aspect of any biography (or any informational text in general...) is: did it expand your knowledge? Before reading this all I could really correlate Leonardo da Vinci to were his paintings. I always related him to his art, but after reading this I know so much more about him as a painter, musician, inventor, scientist, etc. This really painted a portrait of all the things he was skilled at and how he made a difference in the world.

This text is super accessible and suitable for a wide age range. It really was a fascinating read, and also made clear the disorganized and disheveled personality of da Vinci. It has a plethora of useful and fun information. It makes learning about him a little bit more fun, which is fantastic for teachers working with school aged kids. These come in series, and there are plenty more about other famous individuals. I chose to read this one because this is the individual I knew least about. I don't regret reading this at all, and in fact really recommend it. It was a fun read and expanded my understanding of him tenfold. I like that it included engaging and meaningful text!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some people are erroneously talented … then there is Leonardo da Vinci.”

Excellent introductory biography for young readers. Appropriate for ten-year-old readers, plus or minus two years. Good representative of the series, though this imprint indicates Penguin Books is the publisher. (Same ISBN, but different page count, too.)

“Raphael was a great admirer of Leonardo’s. Michelangelo was not.”

Excellent cover art by Nancy Harrison. Illustrations on most every page by True Kelley draw from relevant material. Side pages—occasionally whole pages—of supplemental material which explain the world of that time.

“He was buried at a chapel in Amboise. It may not be a happy ending. But it isn’t a sad one, either.”

[حسناء · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about him , still, I hope I can know more

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? by Roberta Edwards is a book in the award-winning series of "Who Was..." series of books about famous historical figures. This one presents the life and accomplishments of the famous artist, scientist, engineer, and inventor Leonardo da Vinci from his lowly birth as an out-of-wedlock child with limited options to his discovering of his talent for observation and drawing that enabled him to study under a master artist of his time. This was where he developed his craft and abilities in the field of art. Once he became a master artist in his own right he was commissioned to design and create various works of art; but he developed a reputation for not completing many of his works as he became distracted by other interests from the inventor side of his mind from which he created many ideas that were way ahead of his time including various machines he designed for war, flying machines, etc, that he is best known for. Written for the youth market this series is also interesting for adults and provides an overview about various famous people or as a review to supplement what you may have already read about them.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.
Brief and unassuming, this little book gives a vivid account of Da Vinci's life.
I am normally not a fan of such brief biographies, but this one has won me over. I have read quite a few Da Vinci's biographies but despite that, there were still a few new things about Da Vinci in this book.

[Diana Hincu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sa citeste usor si rapid, intr-o ora.Buna pentru un club de carte pentru copii sau pentru tine sa iti verifici cultura generala:)). Cred ca biografia unui geniu atit de complex si multilateral nu lasa apatic pe nimeni. Povestesteste viata si operele lui Leonardo, dar si scapa un fel de zeitgeist al renasterii. Interesanta colectia Pandora, recomand pentru lecturi usoare si informative.

[Zack]

Leonardo is a famous artist back in the Renaissance time and he was one of the greatest.

This book was really good I loved all the paintings and inventions he had in mind of. I also like how Leonardo’s last couple of years was in a house that had a tunnel to the person who took care of him. I learned that Leonardo had a horse project that he was making and the last touches would be putting bronze all over the horse statue but then a war came and the enemy came and destroyed the horse.

Leonardo is one of the greatest artist in the world and he is also very ahead of his time.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

106 pages. Very interesting book about an artist, inventor and amazing person from history. The author gives a well-balanced look at this famous man, beginning with this childhood. I learned so much I had never heard before. There are little sketches of his works throughout that go along with the history of his life. There is a timeline, bibliography and additional pages of information that explain concepts or history related to his times. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.

[Ahaana Shah]

This book is a very interesting book.
I enjoyed reading it. The information written about Leonardo da Vinci is also nice but I would like the book more if there was more information about him as the book does not carry much information.

[Samhita]

Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter, scientist, mathematician and inventor, during the Renaissance period.He was born on April 15th 1452,in a very small town called Vinci,he was a very talented and ambitious young man.He had a hard time with his parents Ser Piero (father) and Caterina (mother) as they got seperated.So they decide to leave him with his grandparents.They took care of him for a time and then no one cared about him.The only person who cared about him was an uncle named Francesco,he was a farmer.He loved the beautiful countryside around vinci.He would always take long walks on the hills which were filled with olive trees.Leornado would always go with him with a small notebook and a pen beacause he loed the nature around him like the shapes of this hills,the birds,the olive trees,and the bright sunlight.he drew things of whatever made him interested.Slowly as things changed he started making many paintings and in one of them was the Mona Lisa the most famous paintings ever . He was an engineer who designed a bicycle which would have worked three years before the bike was ever built.he was pretty Handsome whenever people would describe him they always mentioned his looks.Honestly people should get inspired who are lazy,people without goals in life and etc...and should get inspired by him because though he face many consequences and failures.And he didnt have a proper family and proper parents to give him emotional and financial support.But still he didnt give up but still tried in many ways to become succesful like as a mathematician,musician,engineer,painter etc..its very interesting im sure that i will recomend it to some of my friends or anyone.

[Shubhangi TM]

He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist and engineer who is best known for his paintings, notably the Mona Lisa (c. 1503–19) and the Last Supper (1495–98). His drawing of the Vitruvian Man (c. 1490) has also become a cultural icon.
Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to. Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left were thousands of disorganized notebook pages. Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the Renaissance.
LEONARDO DA VINCI would draw and paint better than anyone. He was an engineer and inventor. One of his paintings Mona Lisa, is the most famous painting in the world.

- Shubhangi TM

[Dhrishita Trivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a nice book with easy language, to the point storyline, and the transparent character of Leonardo do Vinci. This book stands different because it has a lot of information about his life shortly and directly. I learned a lot from this book, especially the negative side of a great personality that is rarely disclosed or discussed by us.
I would recommend this book to all students of age between 10 to 15 to read the "who was/is" at least once because the way they write is very impressive and I am a fan of its completely new and unknown fact-based approach.

[Vasundhara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Leonardo Da Vinci. This book follows his life as well as his work and his major achievements. You see how he navigates his work and personal life. This book tells you interesting facts about his life like his rivalry with Michelango, about his flying machines and the giant statue of a horse he always desired to make but never completed. This is an informative as well as an interesting and well-written book. It’s a great read.

[Kanak Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to. Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left were thousands of disorganized notebook pages. Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the Renaissance.

[Kyrell Kochar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very informative and interesting ! we get to know so much about Leonardo Da Vinci and about how he was a painter, scientist, mathematician and inventor, during the Renaissance. Most of this stuff was very fascinating ! This is a great way to read a nice book and learn about historical figures at the same time.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked learning more about Leonardo Da Vinci. I didn't know his parents didn't care for him much but his uncle did and that he studied under a great master. I also found it interesting he found some tricks to improve perspective such as blurring the background.

[Tanush Aggarwal]

Who was Leonarda da Vinci? by Roberta Edwards a book from the series "Who was..." about famous historical figures is one of the best in the collection. I would definitely recommend reading this book. It shows all about Leonardo's inventions and arts that are very famous nowadays. This book was really good I liked all his inventions and paintings.

[Viraj Goel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy to read book which sheds light on Leonardo and his contribution to history. A fun read.

[Mia Brielle]

It was a good family audiobook for a road trip! 🚗😁

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to learn. Now to come up with some activities for book club

[Juan Manrique]

What a nice book. So lovely. It's a very good book to start if you wanna know about leonardo life

[Chandler Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book as a kid! It was the catalyst for my young self to do more research on da Vinci.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love itttt, i never knew Da Vinci, Michele Angelo and Raphael lived at the same period of time (i mean they were all living in the Rennaissance AND they knew each other); and Da Vinci and Michele Angelo didn't like each other. A very interesting and eye-opening book!

[Cameron Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting series of books and you can learn a lot about history from the Who Was/Is series

[Francesc Borrull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these series. This one was especially well written and published with many drawings that enhanced the reading experience.

[Malek Gallichio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Reads
Malek Gallichio


“Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?”
By: Roberta Edward

Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter, scientist, mathematician and inventor, during the Renaissance. Born on April 15 1452, in the small town of Vinci, Leonardo was a very ambitious and talented young man. Though little is known about his life, historians were able to gain information through, tax records, notebooks, secondhand sources and legal documents. His mother, Caterina, came from a peasant family, while his father, San Piero was a notary. At the age of fifteen, Leonardo moved to the nearby city of Florence, where he was an apprentice to the artist, Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo learned from Andrea, and helped him in painting the Baptism of Christ. At around the age of thirty, Leonardo started his own paintings. In 1482, Leonardo moved to Milan, where he started his world-renowned piece of art, Virgin of the Rock. In around 1495 Fra Luca Pacioli, the famous mathematician, moved to Milan. He befriended Leonardo and thought him math. By this time, Leonardo was very interested in math, science: ranging from anatomy to hydraulics, and art. In 1505, Leonardo made his first sketch of the Mona Lisa, however, it is not known when he exactly, finished the painting. In his last decade of life, Leonardo hired a young aristocratic assistant, and devoted himself in the amplifying his studies of anatomy and hydraulics. In 1519, at the age of 67, Leonardo Da Vinci passed away.

Throughout the biography, one can see that this book is nonfiction as it is about a historical figure. Leonardo Da Vinci was a real person, living during the Renaissance, therefore being of history. This means that the book is nonfiction. Readers also learn many facts while reading, “Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?”. One learns that Leonardo was born in the 1400s, and was one of many artists, inventors, and mathematicians of the Renaissance. We also learn that Leonardo Da Vinci is the painter of the distinguished, Mona Lisa and Virgin of the Rock. Another impressive fact is, Leonardo’s profession. He was an inventor, scientist, mathematician, painter and even a philosopher. A basic fact learned, is that Leonardo was an Italian, from Vinci, a town in Florence. Finally, the reader learns that Leonardo was a man who, often, did not finish a piece of art. Some of his unfinished pieces are, the giant mural of the Battle of Anghari, and the Giant Bronze Horse, a gift to Sforza’s father. Therefore, one can see that Leonardo Da Vinci was an interesting, yet mysterious man.



“Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?” is a very interesting and fun read. Although a small and short book, this biography is composed of a great quantity of interesting facts, as well as achievements, and personal life. It is recommended to any student from lower school, to high school, for quick and easy information about Leonardo Da Vinci. This book is mostly recommended to people who want to learn more about the Renaissance or Leonardo. As mentioned before, it is an easy and fun read, keeping the reader interested at all times. Therefore, one can see that “Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?”, is a very enjoyable and fun biography about Leonardo’s personal and professional life.

Leonardo, an
Extremely talented, yet
Odd artist who
Nourished the
Ambitious
Renaissance with
Diagrams and
Outstanding paintings.

[Madelyn Leen · Rating 5 out of 5]

- This is a great book to have in the classroom. I love these autobiography collections. They appeal so much to the children! I would use this book on Leonardo da Vinci in my 3-5 classroom. This would be a great way to incorporate some art history into the curriculum as well as interest the children with his wonderful life tales!
- I would use this book with my students when inspiring them for artistic activity. I love being able to incorporate art and art history into every subject! This would be a great book to investigate in our social studies lessons!
- I would also love to use this book as well as the other autobiographies in the collection to have my students choose and focus on one person. Once the students research their historical figure they can do a gallery walk representing and sharing who they are!
This book (and this collection) is a wow book for me because I love how they are so appealing to children. The books are fun to read with great graphics that share a lot of information as well as entertain readers.

[Kristi Clemow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting. Genius. ADHD? Maybe a little of both. I think he needed a brother like Walt Disney had to get all the ideas actually done.