Leonardo's Horse

by Jean Fritz, Hudson Talbott (Illustrator)

"A scintillating sliver of history. . . . An inventive introduction to the Renaissance and one of its masters." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"An unusual and surprisingly touching story . . . . An offbeat and intriguing read." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review)

"At times sad, silly, and telling, this is a wholly entertaining book." (School Library Journal, starred review)

"Filled with engaging details of Leonardo and his world. . . . Illustrations which range from utterly recognizable scenes of Florence to the ghostly horses at Leonardo's deathbed. . . . An unusual biography for young people, and one well worth poring over . . . . A unique way of picturing a unique world . . . . An extraordinary tribute." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

Genres: Picture Books, Art, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, Italy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Jean Guttery Fritz was an American children's writer best known for American biography and history. She won the Children's Legacy Literature Award for her career contribution to American children's literature in 1986. She turned 100 in November 2015 and died in May 2017 at the age of 101.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly touching story about the remarkable 24-foot-tall horse Leonardo da Vinci's sculpted for the duke of Milan. Only, he never finished it! War got in the way, and despite all his accomplishments, da Vinci is said to have lamented his unfinished horse even on his deathbed. Leonardo's horse was long forgotten until, in 1977, it was mentioned in a magazine story. Charlie Dent, an airline pilot and avid artist and art collector, read about it and decided he wanted to see Leonardo's horse completed. But it would end up taking many, many more people to see Leonardo's (and Charlie's) horse finally make it to Milan.

This is a beautifully told story, at once heartbreaking and triumphant. Jean Fritz is a genius at bringing historical figures to life through her well-chosen words, and Hudson Talbott's illustrations are excellent, capturing the dreaminess of the Renaissance as well as the scientific perspective so crucial to da Vinci, yet the style also fits when brought to the 20th century settings. The text and illustrations also work together well to help convey the full spectrum of storytelling. For example, the page where Leonardo laments that he had never achieved anything, yet the Mona Lisa is propped in the background. So poignant!

Finally, I just really love the shape of the book! It matches the dome eventually built in Milan and just really makes such an interesting added touch to the reading experience.

The only think missing for me was a photograph of the actual horse statue, but you can find that and more at: www.leonardoshorse.org

All in all, this is a touching tribute to two "Renaissance men," Leonardo and Charlie, and to the magnificent horse that pranced on the edges of their dreams, and to the people who finally made those visions come to life.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this historical non-fiction book about the massive efforts, time, planning and finances it took to create the bronze horse that Leonardo so desperately desired to place in Milan. There is a lot of history presented in a way that older elementary and middle school students could appreciate. It would definitely be appropriate for teaching an art OR history lesson. In fact, this book would lend itself well across the curriculum for other areas, such as Science, for STEM education regarding the engineering of the actual horse statue itself. This story is not dry. There is a lot of emotion portrayed in the stories of all who helped to create Leonardo's dream to come true.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prolific children's author Jean Fritz, who has explored the lives of many historical figures in her titles - What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? , Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? , You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? - here turns her attention to the little-known tale of the horse that Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci created for the duke of Milan. That is to say, the horse he meant to create for the duke, but which (despite a clay model being made) was never cast, and which haunted him until his death. Turning from the sad day in 1519, Fritz moves on the 1970s, when American Charlie Dent, having stumbled upon the story, sets out to create Leonardo's horse at last, as a gift from the people of America to the people of Italy.

An engaging tale - and one with which I was completely unfamiliar! - Leonardo's Horse is part biography and part human interest story, offering young readers an introduction to one of the most important figures of the Italian Renaissance, while also highlighting, through the story of Dent's (and then sculptor Nina Akamu's) quest to finish da Vinci's project, the impact that his work still has, these many centuries later. That idea - that contemporary people still feel passionately enough about da Vinci's legacy that they will go to great lengths to honor it - is the best thing about this book, although illustrator Hudson Talbott's accompanying artwork is also very appealing. All in all, an appealing book, one I would recommend to young artists and dreamers, and to any young reader interested in Leonardo da Vinci.

[Lee]

Why am I emotional about a bronze horse?

[Taylor Torgrimson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Leonardo's Horse" is a story of a "dream" project of Leonardo da Vinci's that he had in his earlier life that was never completed. The tale begins with Leonardo as a young boy and tells of his dreams and desires as a young artist. Leonardo was called upon by the duke to build something so wonderful as a present to be given to Milan. He decided to make a statue of a horse that was so marvelous that everyone would know "Leonardo made that." He studied horses day and night for several months and then designed a 24 foot clay model horse. However, sadly before it could be cast into bronze the war with the French had turned for the worse and the horse was destroyed by the French. Even worse was that Leonardo died before the horse was completed. However, the story does not end here, it begins with how another man by the name of Charles Dent in 1977 decided to finish the horse for Leonardo and send it to Italy as a gift from Americans. However, sadly once again Dent died before the horse could be completed. Finally, Nina Akamu finished the horse for both Leonardo and Charles. The horse was unveiled on September 10, 1999, which was exactly 500 hundreds since the French invaded Italy and destroyed Leonardo's horse. I really enjoyed this story because it told me facts about Leonardo that I, myself did not even know. It was very interesting read and I always love reading about new things. The illustrations are very helpful with the story. For example, one page breaks down the process on how the horse was cast in froze, which is very helpful when visualizing how that process is done. I would recommend this book to children in 4th grade with a high reading level and for children above.

[(NS) Brea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Starred Review* Gr. 4-7. The first part of this unusual book presents the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci, highlighting his work on a monumental statue of a horse, which, despite many sketches and the making, in 1493, of a 24-foot-high clay model, was never cast in bronze as planned. The story begins again in 1977, when American art lover Charles Dent read about Leonardo's horse. He dreamed of completing the statue and presenting it to the people of Italy from the people of America. Although Dent died in 1994, the work went on until sculptor Nina Akamu completed the statue, which was unveiled in Milan in 1999, 500 years after the destruction of the original clay sculpture. Combining biography, history, and art, Fritz's absorbing text is both a lively introduction to Leonardo and a tribute to Dent. The curious shape of the book--rectangular at the bottom and rounded at the top--is reminiscent of the silhouette of a domed building, and illustrator Talbott makes good use of the irregularly shaped pages in his pleasing and occasionally dramatic illustrations, which are done in watercolor, pen-and-ink, colored pencils, and collage. A memorable choice for reading aloud.
~Carolyn Phelan (Booklist Review)

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly beautiful picture book marking an unusual story in history.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fritz, J. (2001). Leonardo’s horse. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

Leonardo’s Horse tells the story of a statue Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to build by the Duke of Milan. The Duke also hired Leonardo to take a variety of entertainment roles in the palace. His work on his horse was often interrupted. He visited stables and statues to observe, measure, and draw horses. After several years, da Vinci completed a twenty four foot clay model only to start other projects and ultimately abandon the horse when the French invaded Milan. It is said that even as death approached, Leonardo yearned for the horse he never completed. Hundreds of years later, American artists Charlie Dent and Nina Akamu were able to bring the bronze sculpture to completion. Five hundred years to the date of the French ruining Leonardo’s clay model, the finished sculpture was unveiled in Milan. The strength of this book is the lesson readers can take away about not giving up on hard tasks, as well as making a great introduction to the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci. Another strength is that it is written in narrative nonfiction format which is sometimes more engaging for students than informational text.

I would recommend this book to teachers of the intended grade range, first through fourth, as an introduction to great artists from history. I would also recommend it to teachers of any grade or students who had a particular interest in art. Students could also read informational texts about Leonardo or his works and compare and contrast that text with Leonardo’s Horse to find similarities and differences between the two genres. Students could also research any of the other work mentioned in the book, from art to inventions, or branch off to other artists of the Renaissance. Math and social studies connections could be made by calculating the difference in the years mentioned in the book and creating a timeline to show the hundreds of years this project lasted.

Grade level 1-4

Awards/Honors
none

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fellow teacher recommended Leonardo’s Horse to me for a social studies lesson. I was teaching a social studies unit on Leonardo Da Vinci and wanted to introduce various art projects to my students, inspired by his work. I read this story aloud to my second grade students. The story presented facts about Da Vinci’s life and work through an effective third-person narration.
The class truly enjoyed the detailed, colorful and informative writing and illustrations, as did I. The illustrations not only help to narrate the story of Leonardo’s life, but also provide readers with detailed examples of Leonardo’s sketches and sculptures. I utilized this story to teach my students about the inspiring and tragic events of Leonardo Da Vinci’s life as well as how his life’s work has been honored by many.
I would recommend this book to educators looking to engage their students in reading about art history. Through the use of this text, students can experience the remarkable story about Leonardo’s dream of creating a bronze horse and how an American pilot resurrected that dream 500 years later.
This book can be use for varying elementary grades. For educators in grades second and third, I would recommend using it as a read aloud, however, students in fourth and fifth grade would enjoy reading it on their own, possibly as part of research on Leonardo Da Vinci.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo’s Horse was a book non-fiction children’s book that was written about a specific creation of Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci dreamed of building a huge horse for the duke of Milan but was never able to complete that dream. Nearly 500 years after his lifetime, his dream was brought to life and actually created! First off, the physical copy of the book itself is eye catching. It’s domed at the top, which actually is a key feature that’s actually explained in the book itself. Inside, the pictures itself were eye catching and not too busy, meaning that it wasn’t overwhelming to look at. The narrative told of a very inspiring story of da Vinci’s horse and the important people involved. Young readers can be subtly educated about the famous painter, inventor, science, ect! It’s always difficult to find quality books for young adults that truly engage them on a historical figure, but Leonardo’s Horse does a beautiful job at teaching younger readers about his life and his creation. Even as an adult, I learned a lot about da Vinci that I previously did not know! Overall, Leonardo’s Horse is intellectually engaging for readers of all ages and enjoyable to read!

[Olivia Lagore]

Most students will have heard of Leonardo da Vinci, but this book offers a new perspective with it's focus on the giant horse da Vinci planned to create and its mentions of some of his other, lesser known creations, such as the elaborate parties he was employed to give for the Duke of Milan. Fast forward to the future, a young man discovers Leonardo's old plans for the horse and decides to try to build it himself. Although he dies before being able to finish it, his friends, family, and eventually many more people, rally together to make his dream a reality.
For older students, this could be paired with "The Second Mrs. Gioconda" by E.L. Konigsburg (an amazing historical fiction book about Leonardo da Vinci). It would also fit well if the teacher wanted to include an aspect of action based response to history as it discusses a man who, driven by something in history that touched him, was able to make his plan become a reality.

[Sarah Maddaford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the shape of this book. At first, I was just surprised that it wasn't rectangular, but finding out that it echoes Charlie's dome makes it even better. It appears that the author collected her research from Charlie Dent's work to complete Leonardo's dream. I'm not surprised that Leonardo tried to create a bronze horse because much of his work was very naturalistic and realistic. The author and illustrator are both well qualified to create this book. The author is a well-known children's book biographer. The illustrator is known for having studied art in Italy as well as growing up with horses. The book is written in a narrative format that makes it more accessible to a wider range of readers. The pictures are lovely and the detail paid to some of Leonardo's other works shown in the pictures is exquisite.

[Bhg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is gorgeous - beautifully shaped with the best quality, acid-free paper, and heavenly bronze metallic end papers. Printed in Hong Kong, sad to say. I wanted to love it, especially having seen the horse in Grand Rapids BUT... togas in 15th century Florence? Nooo! Bluto is wearing a toga in Animal House Pink had no connotation of effeminacy back then, either. It wouldn't until the 19th century.

Hudson Talbot does a great job with horses and his reproduction of Leonardo's drawings are quite good but as those drawings are in France a mention of that fact would've been nice. His drawings of the dress and coiffures of women at a ducal entertainment look more Hollywood that what we see of portraits of aristocratic women of the time. The men look as if they're wearing tights without boots or shoes. Huh?

[Lisa Rathbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The picture of Da Vinci on his deathbed dreaming about the horse he never sculpted is very touching. How amazing that the story repeated itself in modern times as Charles Dent died before he could finish the horse statue in honor of da Vinci. I read it to my kids, and one daughter exclaimed, "I want to go to Italy to see the horse!" I was able to tell her that one more horse had been cast, and it stands in the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI. When my kids saw the statue in person, it took their breath away. This was a , touching story that made da Vinci seem very human and real, although now I want to find more books that detail some of his other works and achievements to share with my kids.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the abridged version in a 5th grade reading textbook, I decided to check out the full-length copy. Jean Fritz, probably one of the top writers for realistic fiction and biographies for young readers, outdid herself with this story. It's the biography of Leonardo da Vinci who grieved that he was never able to finish one of his masterpieces, a giant horse, for the city of Milan. Fast forward 500 years, an American sculptor, Dent, resurrects the dream for Leonardo's horse, and finally, with the assistance of a third sculptor, the horse becomes a reality in 1999. Smaller scale models are now displayed in a few select cities in the world.

A great book for young readers, and for those of us who enjoy reading quality "kiddie lit" as well.

[Sarah VanDyke]

Great book! To be honest, I had never heard about Da Vinci's horse, but found it interesting to learn about the events leading up to its creation. It was inspiring to read about artist's getting involved to finish his dream. I was shocked that it was not completed until 1999. From my understanding, the book contains facts about Leonardo, Charles Dent and Nina Akamu and is cited at the end of the book, but part of me wonders about assumptions. It is mentioned how Leonardo constantly dreamed of his horse and grieved that it was not finished when he passed. I wonder if the author found proof of this. I would use this book in higher grades for students to read alone as homework due to its length. The book would be appropriate for learning about artists and influential philosophers.

[Rebecca Tenbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this nonfiction book simply because it told a story about Leonardo da Vinci that we never hear. Most people know him for The Mona Lisa or The Last Supper but not many know that he had a dream to create a bronze horse. He thought about that horse often as he got older. Later on someone else learned about his passion and as a way to remember and honor Leonardo they began to construct a bronze horse to send to Italy. This book is just another example of how biographies only show a snapshot of that person's life. I read another book about Leonardo da Vinci earlier and that book never told the story about the horse Leonardo wanted to make. I would like to use this book during a unit study on Leonardo da Vinci to show to my students that not every fact is included in every book.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting in that I did not know much about Leonardo da Vinci's engineering side. He is so well known for his art and his famous paintings, but little is known about his curiosities that made him such a remarkable inventor. Charles Dent wants to create a horse sculpture to give to the town of Pisa, Italy and he sets out to design the perfect one. However time runs away and the finished product is not what was expected, so another artist must take over and completely rebuild the offering. It was interesting to learn about all the details Leonardo thought about not only with his art work, but with his inventions too.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It not only tells the story of the giant horse sculpture of Leonard da Vinci, and its terrible destruction (a story I did not know), it also tells the story of the dream of Charles Dent, a pilot and artist who wished to fulfill Leonardo's dream. Mr. Dent's dream was completed by artist Nina Akamu. Finally, on September 10, 1999, exactly five hundred years to the day since the French invaded Milan and destroyed Leonardo's horse, the new, enormous horse sculpture -- a gift to Italy from the American people -- was unveiled in Milan. "At last Leonardo's horse was home."

I want to visit it!

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and oddly emotionally touching non-fiction book about Leonardo Da Vinci’s unfinished, then later destroyed by war, enormous clay horse that sadly was never cast into bronze. Thankfully an article was read by Charles Dent many centuries later about Leonardo’s horse and he was moved to complete this dream for the renowned artist. Numerous years and helpful individuals later this vision was fulfilled and Leonardo’s stallion now motionlessly rides in Italy.

[Cdelory · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son got this out of his school library, and it was one of the few books that he picked up to read by himself. He likes books, but it's usually only if a joint activity.

It's an interesting story about Leonardo and then there is a second story at the back about an artist who actually completes the horse. The illustrations are of the "Which is your favorite?" type.

This is the perfect, longish picture book for lazy morning in bed - drama, art, education - it has it all.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea about Leonardo's horse until I read this book. And honestly...it just started out as a big project...that failed...but after Charles Dent and Nina Akamu started working on it and putting so much effort into it...the finished product of the bronze horse is SO much more...meaningful.

I really enjoyed reading the story! It's nice to know a little something more about Leonardo than his famous Mona Lisa painting.

[Suzannah Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduces a project Da Vinci never finished. However, others continued his story and honored him in history.
The pictures in this book are incredible and detailed. They showed the many steps of every art undertaking. I loved how all the stories were connected.
I would use this book to teach art, specifically from a historical standpoint. Definitely recommend.

[Aleisha Boehm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adorable and a great way to learn about many different topics at once such as Leonardo da Vinci and the scuplting process. Great for children or adults who want a fun and eduactional read!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about the incredible creative mind of Leonardo da Vinci as well as the story of others assisting in the creation of a huge horse statue that was designed by Leonardo, but never actually completed.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book of hers that I read. It is amazing. I read a lot of biographies as a child and this one took a very creative turn in biography. The binding is unusual and the book is very creative.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had known the story of Leonardo's horse that he was never able to complete, but didn't realize that in modern times his final vision was realized. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and its wonderful illustrations.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Leonardo's Horse" - written by Jean Fritz and published in 2001 by G P Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Fritz is the queen of middle-grade biography and this little tidbit of a book is a good example of her brief showcases of historical times.

[Eva Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!! This is a story of Leonardo DaVinci's dream of making the horse for the emperor of Milan and was never completed. This story is not well known about Leonardo and really captures such great qualities about him! I loved this book and recommend this for any classroom!