Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Leo Lionni
Leo Lionni
Reading Comprehension for May 5
Leo Lionni was a famous children's illustrator. He was an author, too. His parents were Dutch. He was born on May 5, 1910, in Amsterdam. Growing up, Leo never had art lessons. He loved to go to museums. He taught himself to draw by looking at the artwork. He also enjoyed his uncle's modern art collection.
In 1931, Leo got married. He and his wife moved to Milan, Italy. Then he began a career in art. He became an art director for a food company. He also wrote about architecture for a local magazine.
In 1939, Leo moved to the United States. He worked as an art director and magazine editor. In 1959, Leo published his first children's book. It was called Little Blue and Little Yellow. It started out as a story to entertain his grandchildren during a dull train ride. He returned to Italy in 1962 to write and illustrate more books.
