Post on 10-Jul-2020
A Boy Named LeoBy Trudi Strain Trueit
Table of ContentsChapter One Young Leo 1
Chapter Two An Inventor 5
Chapter Three A Great Artist 10
Glossary 15
Long ago, there was a little boy.
His name was Leo.
He loved things that could fly.
Young Leo
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 1
Then he set them free.
The birds flew away.
That made him happy.
Leo loved birds. One
day, he saw birds in a
cage.That made him sad.
So he bought the birds.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 2
Leo lived with his uncle. He and his uncle went
on many long walks. They saw many plants and
animals. Leo asked his uncle lots of questions.
Then Leo drew what he saw. He drew and drew
and drew. Because he drew so much he became
very good at it.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 3
Can you guess one of
the things that Leo drew?
That’s right. Birds. Even
after Leo grew up, he
loved birds. He wanted
to know all about them.
He asked How do birds fly?
He asked How do bats fly? He
looked and looked. Then
he drew and drew and drew.
Here are some pictures Leo
drew of birds.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 4
Leo lived very long ago. He lived 500 years ago.
Back then, there were no planes at all.
Still, Leo dreamed of flying.
He dreamed of a machine that people could fly in.
He wanted to make one.
An Inventor
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 5
So Leo drew his dream. He drew a flying machine.
He was unable to make it. But much much later
someone did. Can you guess what that machine is?
A helicopter!
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 6
© TA Craft Photography
© Fo
toTa
la
Here is another drawing by Leo.
Can you guess what it is?
A parachute!
It lets someone fall from
the sky and stay safe.
Leo invented the first parachute.
It works!
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 7
Leo made all kinds of things. He made this drawing
in 1502. It is a design for a bridge. Many many
years later people made the bridge.
The bridge was built in 2002. It is based on Leos
design. Do you like it?
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 8
© s
uzes
izu
Leo had great ideas. And he knew that. So he kept
notes all the time. That way he would never forget.
Sometimes he even wrote backwards.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 9
Leo drew all his life. Because he worked so hard, he
became a great artist. He painted this picture. It is
called the Mona Lisa. It is famous.
A Great Artist
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 10
Leo’s first name was Leonardo. He did not have a
last name. He came from a town called Vinci. That
is why people called him Leonardo da Vinci. The
word “da” means “of” in Italian. Here is a picture
of Vinci.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 11
© is
tock
Look at the things on this page. Leo dreamed
up all of them 500 years ago. All his life, Leo
made things. Are you ready to make one of Leo’s
inventions?
Let’s try!
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 12
© P
ierr
e La
ndry
© a
nna
© G
OL
© u
nder
wat
erpi
cs
© s
uzes
izu
© F
otoT
ala
Step 1: Get your ruler, pencil, and paper. Trace the triangle. Make four triangles. You can put two on each page.
Step 2: Cut out the triangles.
Step 3: Place the triangles side by side. Their points will meet in the center.
Make your own model of Leonardo’s parachute.
pencil
rulerstring or yarn2 paper clips
scissors
tape
2 sheets of8 1/2 by 11 inch paper
Step 4: Tape together the edges that touch.
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 13
Step 5: Make a crease along each taped seam. Tape the last seam in place. Then crease it.
Step 6: Cut four pieces of string. Each piece must be 12 inches long.
Step 7: Tape one piece of string to each corner of the parachute. Tie the other ends to the paper clips. Find a place high off the ground. Drop your parachute!
Do you still have time to play? Try to make your parachute better. Make it with cloth instead of paper. Change the paper clip to something else. What happens if you use a quarter, a rubber ball, or a little box?
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 14
© Fo
toTa
la
Glossary
parachute: a piece of cloth that helps people float from the sky to the ground
machine: an object made up of parts that can do some kind of work
Read More About Leo
Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt
The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci by Gene Barretta
Leonardo da Vinci by Sean Connolly
Title: A Boy Named Leo Page: 15