About this book

From Caldecott Honor artist Mary GrandPre, a tale of BIG ideas, little inventors, and the magic of creativity.

Cleonardo’s father is an inventor. So was her grandfather, her great-grandfather, and all the great-greats before them. Cleo wants to be an inventor too. She tries to help her father in his workshop, but he never uses her great ideas. Can Cleo invent something big and important and perfect all by herself?

This imaginative story of a father and his daughter brings the magic of creativity to little inventors everywhere.

Reviews

Praise for Cleonardo, the Little Inventor:

* "Every image in Caldecott Honor winner GrandPré's newest offering glows with wonder and beauty... Rooted in intelligence and love, GrandPré's story will enthrall, empower, and encourage creation." -- Booklist, starred review

"GrandPré creates a spirited heroine with both her words and her illustrations... The story will inspire young readers to embrace their creativity, no matter their preferred medium... An inspiring tale for inventors of all ages." -- Kirkus Reviews

"GrandPré's spreads glow with richly embroidered textiles, exotic foliage, and dramatic lighting... It's GrandPré's visual pyrotechnics that will entrance readers." -- Publishers Weekly

"Enchanting... The message that children, and, more specifically, girls, are able to build, create, and contribute to society is strong and encouraging, and the heartwarming ending is satisfying, with its gentle reminder that more can be accomplished when people choose to work together. This lovely offering has a vintage feel and a timeless message that would work equally well in a STEM class as it would at storytime." -- School Library Journal


Praise for The Noisy Paint Box:

*"GrandPré's paintings conjure up an entire epoch... breathing life into all the characters." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"Richly colored, large acrylic paint and paper collage pictures illustrate the life of Vasily Kandinsky, one of the first painters of abstract art..." -- Booklist, starred review

*"A rich, accomplished piece about a pioneer in the art world." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*"Outstanding." -- School Library Journal, starred review