Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life of Invention

Art, biology, mathematics, physics, music and engineering – Leonardo Da Vinci was talented in these areas and many more and this is what Jake Williams explores in his beautifully illustrated and informative biography: Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life of Invention.

The life and work of this extraordinary polymath is carefully divided into sections on his background, his studies on the natural world, his inventions and works of art before looking at his legacy and relevance to our lives today. His timeline is plotted against maps of his travels: Vinci to Florence; Florence to Milan; Milan to France, which guide us through his life and most famous works.

Each section of the book is divided into double-page spreads which describes each of his most well-known ideas in easy-to-understand and relatable language for children. The ‘Inventions’ for example, includes pages on his designs for armoured cars, parachutes, crossbows, bats, helicopters, robot knights, diving suits and several more! Each topic is presented slightly different and includes both information and interesting facts to keep readers hooked in. On some occasions, Williams lets the pictures do the talking which makes the book enjoyable to dip in and out of whenever occasion suits.

The illustrations are stunning and you may recognise the distinctive vector designs and bold colour choices from some of his other titles such as ‘Darwin’s Voyage of Discovery’ and ‘Really Remarkable Reptiles.’

A highly informative and engaging text, which I would recommend for those interested in Da Vinci, art, inventions, design technology and history.