Book Nook: I Am Leonardo Da Vinci

The New York Times bestselling Ordinary People Change the World series celebrates an exciting milestone in April with its 20th hero: I AM LEONARDO DA VINCI. Now with more than 3.5 million copies in print, the inception for this series came from a personal place for Brad Meltzer: he wanted to give his own children heroes of character, kindness, and compassion – he did not want his children to think that someone “famous for being famous” on social media constitutes someone to emulate. From his love of history, Brad knew there were better heroes for his children to look up to, and he decided to write about them.
What originally began as a passion project has become today’s leading and bestselling picture book biography series about famous historical figures from around the world, including Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Walt Disney, Billie Jean King, and Neil Armstrong, among many others. On April 14, 2020, Penguin Young Readers will publish the latest addition to the series: I AM LEONARDO DA VINCI.
In I AM LEONARDO DA VINCI, young readers learn more about the famous Renaissance creator, whose curiosity about the world and exploring new ideas led to extraordinary discoveries.
This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great ─ the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. While each story is unique, what binds them are their stories of perseverance and hard work.
This past fall, PBS debuted Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, which launched to a strong start and reached millions of viewers. Done in Chris’ iconic art style, Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina and their friend Bad meet heroes from the past and their strengths and perseverance help the group solve problems in their own lives.

I had a chance to interview the author and illustrator to learn more.
Why did you write this book?
This series was born so I could give my kids better heroes to look up to – teaching them lessons of kindness, compassion and resilience. So this one is for both my daughter and youngest son, both creative, and both love doing lots of different things. Leonardo da Vinci shows them how to follow their passion: Stay curious. Ask questions. Look closely. And always be daring.
What did you learn while writing this book?
Da Vinci came up with so many inventions: The tank, the parachute, flying wings, scuba gear, even an early helicopter. At the time, every single one of them failed. But over time, as technology and innovation caught up with his ideas, every single one of them worked. I absolutely love that. What a perfect lesson for my kids.
Why is it important for kids to learn about famous figures like Da Vinci?
During da Vinci’s life, people called him a genius—the real life Renaissance Man. They also said he was weird and odd. That’s not a bad thing. Nothing amazing happens by thinking like everyone else. As it says in the book:
No two trees are the same. No two humans are either.
That means no one will see the world as you do.
That’s not weird or odd.
It’s beautiful.
Do what hasn’t been done before. Build what hasn’t been built before.
When you do, no one will be able to look away.

What was your favorite aspect of illustrating this book?
As always, I get a kick out of drawing kids with adult facial hair. It’s so funny to look at. We always do it to show kids that these historical figures were once kids as well, but Leonardo’s giant beard was a blast!
What challenges did you face while working on this book?
At first, I was wondering how I was going to reproduce all of these great works by the master. I would wake up in sweats worrying about it. Then Brad suggested we drop in the actual artwork. So, that made my life less stressful.

What's your favorite thing about Da Vinci?
I love that he was so curious. He wanted to learn like he was running out of time. I tend to feel that way. I find a subject I’m interested in and read as much as I can about it. I love that no matter what, he wanted to know more.

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Heroes for My Son, Heroes for My Daughter, a dozen suspense novels like The Escape Artist, and non-fiction books like The First Conspiracy. He is also the host of the History Channel television shows Brad Meltzer's Decoded and Brad Meltzer's Lost History (which he used to help find the missing 9/11 flag). He is the co-creator of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum – and of course, the inspiration for Brad. He lives in Florida with his wife and their three children.

Christopher Eliopoulos began his illustration career at Marvel Comics, and has worked on thousands of comics, including Cosmic Commandos, Monster Mayhem, Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Pet Avengers, and Cow Boy, all of which he wrote and illustrated. THE YAWNS ARE COMING!, Christopher’s first picture book as both author and illustrator, goes on-sale April 28th, 2020. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and their identical twin sons (when the boys are home from college).