Neo Leo

Neo Leo: the Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci by Gene Barretta, Christy Ottaviano Books (Henry Holt and Co.), 2009, ISBN 978-0-8050-8703-1
Bookjacket: Gene Baretta cleverly shows how Leonardo's ideas-many inspired by his study of nature-foreshadowed modern inventions, offering a window into the future.
"Nature was his teacher." Until reading this book, I had never thought about or realized how much daVinci was influenced by nature, but then, what else was around for him to study? We take for granted all the modern inventions of today, and are perhaps blinded by them. We don't see the natural world around us because there is so much man-made "stuff" in the way. Is it possible to clear the screen, just for a few minutes? To get some more good ideas from nature? What could our kids of today dream up if they were unencumbered by gadgets? But in all fairness, what do they create by using those gadgets? Perhaps if we could allow ourselves to explore both options: pure nature and technological gadgets. Separately? Together? Main ingredient in both MUST be CURIOSITY (defined as a strong desire to learn or know something. Reminds me of the word passion)!!!
Leonardo was truly a visionary, as evidenced by some of his experiments and inventions. And yet, we are still missing about 2/3 of his notes!
This is a fascinating book that will get you thinking (hopefully!)
Barretta also wrote Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin. Both are a wonderful contribution to the picture book catagory.
He's written quite a few books, including Dear Deer: a book of homophones. Check out Baretta's website.