PPBF: Leonardo's Horse

What a FABULOUS book I have to review today!  Stellar in every way. . .

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Author: Jean Fritz

Illustrator: Hudson Talbott

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Date: 2001

Ages: 8-12+

Themes: perseverance, sculptors, Leonardo Da Vinci, horses.

Genre: Historic Fiction/Biography

First Paragraph: "Anyone who watched the young Leonardo wander the countryside around his home in Vinci might have guessed that he would be an artist. He stopped to examine everything. He looked at the landscape as if he were memorizing it. So it was no surprise when his father took him as a young teenager to Florence to study art."

Why I love this book (let me count the ways!): How can I not love a book written by Jean Fritz, who is considered the "top biographer writing for children and young people today"? She makes the event come alive for us. We feel as though we are on location, watching the process ourselves.

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And the illustrations. . .oh, my goodness! So beautifully done, and so realistic for the time period. Both author and illustrator have a passion for history, as you can see revealed in their words and images.

But, even above those reasons, the story itself is poignant. Can you believe I cried in parts when I read this to my teens?? Well, I did.  Because it focuses on an artist's passion, and his determination to pursue it. And how two other artists, many years after Leonardo's death, took on the challenge so this Renaissance artist could have his wish fulfilled.  It's about hard work, vision, and selflessness. It reminded me that we as writer's can help one another pursue and realize our dreams.

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Okay, enough! I can't enough good things about this book, so you will have to check it out for yourself!

Some Teacher's Resources:

Illustrator Hudson Talbott's site HERE  with pics of his other kid friendly artwork.

Lesson Plans HERE and HERE

Link to information about Jean Fritz HERE  and a fabulous summary of Jean's past and present HERE.
It's a fascinating look into here books and life. . .did you know JEAN FRITZ will be 97 in less than 10 days???  She is my literary hero. . .my passion is to make history come alive for my readers!

YouTube video of the history behind the story:

   

Hope you enjoyed today's offering for Perfect Picture Book Fridays, when we review picture books which we deem worthy of mention.  This concept was created by Susanna Hill, and is a helpful resource for librarians, teachers and parents.  For a list of all books reviewed so far, along with activities to complement them, click here.