Leonardo's Horse

By Jean Fritz

Book Overview

A scintillating sliver of history. . . . An inventive introduction to the Renaissance and one of its masters. (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

An unusual and surprisingly touching story . . . . An offbeat and intriguing read. (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review)

At times sad, silly, and telling, this is a wholly entertaining book. (School Library Journal, starred review)

Filled with engaging details of Leonardo and his world. . . . Illustrations which range from utterly recognizable scenes of Florence to the ghostly horses at Leonardo's deathbed. . . . An unusual biography for young people, and one well worth poring over . . . . A unique way of picturing a unique world . . . . An extraordinary tribute. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399235760
• ISBN13: 9780399235764
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 10.6"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

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A DEFINATE MUST HAVE!!

This is an amazingly written and illustrated book that anyone who is in awe of the tremendous talents of Leonardo Da Vinci will definitely enjoy! This true story is told in a manner that is sure to hold the attention of all ages! As an Art Director of grades ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade, I used this as a teaching tool in all these grade levels....much to the delight of the children and participating adults! A Serious Must Have!!

Leonardo's Horse trots to top ranking in my book!

If you like learning about Renaissance artists, then Leonardo's Horse is for you. Leonardo is shown as a person interested in many different areas of intelligence. This book focuses most on his painting and sculpture. A duke wanted him to make this gigantic bronze sculpture of a horse. Leonardo studied and studied, and he finally made a clay model of what the bronze horse would look like. He never got around to finishing it because the duke took all of his bronze for war supplies, and Leonardo was working on his famous painting, The Last Supper. As the French invaded Milan, they destroyed the clay horse. Even to his deathbed, Leonardo regretted never being able to finish the horse. The rest of this story relates the two artists that sought to honor Leonardo's legacy by completing the horse and presenting it as a gift of American friendship to Milan. Those artists were Charles Dent and Nina Akamu. A couple interesting features of the book are its shape and illustrations. The book has a half circle on top of the normal square shape. The illustrator makes good use of the irregularly shaped pages by making the top of the page the inside of a dome, an arched doorway, and more. There's a step-by-step chart to show how a sculpture is casted from clay to plaster to bronze. Overall, Jean Fritz and Hudson Talbott (author/artist) complement each other perfectly in this work.

Leonardo's Dream

This is a unique format for a book. The art work is exquisite! The story is very touching. Leonardo had never finished a bronze statue of a horse; it bothered him the rest of his life. Centuries later an American almost finished it, but he died. Another American did and it was given to the Italian people as a gift to Leonardo.

The horse is reality based on dreams

In Grand Rapids, MIchigan we have Da Vinci's horse (the only one to be made from the molds used to cast the original in Milan Italy). It is breathtaking. I was excited to find a children's book describing the men who dreamed it and the woman who completed the sculpture. As a story about Leonardo Da Vinci it may fall short, but it is an epic story linking different times, men, and countries in a triumphant project.

A Moving and Evocative Story.....

Leonardo da Vinci had a dream. When he heard that the Duke of Milan was planning to honor his father with the statue of a bronze horse, he knew he had to be the artist for the job. "This would be his mark on history." Unfortunately, because of events often beyond his control, the sculpture was never completed, and it is said that Leonardo died in 1519, grieving for his horse. Hundreds of years later, in 1977, an artist and art lover, Charlie Dent, read a story about Leonardo's horse, and it became his dream too. He decided to complete the project, and give the horse to Italy as a gift from the American people. Charlie studied horses just as Leonardo had, and worked tirelessly on the project, but he too became ill, and died in 1994, before its completion. Friends of Charlie's wanted to see his dream fulfilled, and so they contacted a talented sculptor, Nina Akamu, to finish the project, and soon it became her dream too. On September 10, 1999, Leonardo's and Charlie's dream was finally unveiled in Milan. "At last Leonardo's horse was home."..... Jean Fritz has written a marvelously intriguing story, part history, part biography, and part art book, that captures the imagination and takes the reader on an amazing 500 year journey. Her tender, simple, and easy to read text was obviously a labor of love, and is full of imagery and magic. Ms Fritz's words are beautifully complemented by Hudson Talbott's spectacular, detailed artwork, that uses da Vinci's drawings and notebooks, along with his own expressive illustrations, combining pen and ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and collage. Together they've authored a dramatic masterpiece that's sure to peak the interest of history buffs and art lovers everywhere. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, Leonardo's Horse also makes a wonderful read-aloud story the entire family can share. Definitely one of the very best of 2001, this is a book that shouldn't be missed. Bravo Fritz and Talbott!