ABOUT 'SMART READS for Kids'..."Love Art, Love Learning"
Welcome. Designed to expand and inspire young minds; this is a range of short educational books (with supporting free online resources) for ages 7+. Although one great artist's life and work are always the central theme, wider learning is encouraged as follows:
Geography & History. Locations or events mentioned are always accompanied by a colourful map or a snippet of history so that the opportunity to learn some general knowledge does not pass the young reader by.
Vocabulary. A manageable number of new words are introduced and reused. They are always in bold with clear definitions and pronunciations. There is also a Glossary.
Maths. At least one maths statement and its accompanying calculation is always included.
Concentration. Each book is in the friendly first person and a trail of footprints always leads to a cartoon animal at the end. The author asks questions of the reader and there is always a quiz. These features keep children engaged and encourage them to form their own opinions. There is a high ratio of images to text.
ABOUT JUNIOR LEONARDO DA VINCI
Da Vinci was of course far more than a great artist. The full journey of his life is covered including: an account of everyday Renaissance Italy with its tyrannous leaders, the historically precocious and inquisitive nature of Leonardo's mind, his inventions, the story of his secret mirror writing (which provides an opportunity to learn a little about shapes with symmetry) and the mysteries of the Mona Lisa. There's also a simple recipe for Renaissance paint and some dragon hunting
On this journey children will encounter all of da Vinci's most famous paintings and drawings-no child will fail to be inspired.
DETAILS:
Locations Mapped: Present day and Renaissance Italy, Greece, France and The Ottoman Empire. Paintings and Drawings: 30 including: The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man, sketches of flying, hydraulic and combat machines, The Baptism of Christ, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, The Virgin & Child with St. Anne and John the Baptist.
Vocabulary Defined: Anatomy, Apprenticeship, Baptism, Blood Vessels, Catapult, Circa, City state, Curiosity, Engineer, Euro, Genius, Infinite, Luxuries, Observe, Obsessed, Orbit, Polymath, Renaissance, Ridiculous and Symmetry.
New Artists Introduced: Michelangelo and Ingres.
Broader Topics: Why the Renaissance occurred, the importance of freethinking and the modern scientific method, the value of pursuing many interests and seeing projects through to the end.
Online Resources:
-Printable colouring sheets (including the Mona Lisa) and a children's fun design challenge.
-A colour slide show containing all the images used. This is accessed via a password which is given at the back of the book. (A test version is available to try before you buy. Visit theportraitplace.co.uk and select 'Hardware Solutions' in the 'SMART READS for Kids' dropdown menu.)
Words: 3900
NOTE: THIS BOOK IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON IN US ENGLISH
OTHER BOOKS FROM 'SMART READS FOR KIDS'
Junior Vincent van Gogh (paperback and Kindle).
Learn 20 French Words with Junior Claude Monet (currently Kindle only).
Junior Edgar Degas (currently Kindle only).
What do you do in a Drawing Room? (Fiction). Enjoy Leo's adventures in a world of magical and mischievous art (currently Kindle only).
REVIEWS OF BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
"Love, love, love this book Great addition to our homeschool art books. I hope this becomes a series of books, would love to get more "-Customer, Iowa
"I wanted to do some painting myself after I read this book, I've learnt so much"-Customer, UK
"This story was fabulous. Our son couldn't stop reading it."-Customer, Canada"