Fritz, Jean - author
& Talbott, Hudson - illustrator. (2001). Leonardo's Horse. New York: Putnam. ISBN: 978-8811580478.
Annotation
The true story of Leonardo’s dream of creating a giant horse statue is a
little known one dwarfed by his other feats, but this book encapsulates the
bronze horse’s journey and the process centuries later to bring it to life by
Charles Dent.
My thoughts
The unique dome shape of the book makes this book physically stand out
and the illustrations will also be eye catching. In addition, this story is one
that is not as well known as Leonardo’s other inventions and creations. It
gives a unique perspective into Leonardo’s mind and humanizes this man who was
a genius and a man ahead of his years.
The pages when Leonardo became ‘depressed’ because his goal of creating
the statue is never fulfilled is unfortunate and sad yet it shows young readers
a version of a healthy dreamer who was invested in his creations. Leonardo da
Vinci is a popular role model for many people after learning about him during primary
school years. Leonardo worked very hard his entire life thinking and creating
the feats that he became known by and still had disappointments. He was a real
person with real feelings.
The majority of the book is about the later creation of the statue that
was actualized by Charles Dent and Nina Akamu in a dome during the late 1980s. The
horse was intended to be a gift from the American people to the people of
Italy. Many people were involved in the production of the horse using modern
technology and there were still complications with the creation of the horse.
The illustrations also standout because Hudson Talbott’s artwork brings
the reader back to the Renaissance and takes them through the process of
creating Leonardo’s horse statue. The book features a 10-step process from clay- to plaster- to bronze diagram describing the phases of making bronze sculptures. Talbott's illustrations also look similar to Leonardo's which lend the book a sense of authenticity.
Curricular
connections
Elementary school and Middle school (grade 4-7- Renaissance/history/ art)
Reading level/ Interest Age
Grade 3-6/ Age
5 and up.
Reviews and Awards
Starred reviews
from SLJ, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and The Bulletin of the Center for
Children’s Books.
Author
website: No official
website found.
Illustrator
website: The Books and Illustrations
of Hudson Talbott
www.hudsontalbott.com/
Media: watercolors, pen and ink, colored pencil,
and collage
Genre: Juvenile literature, nonfiction, biography
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