Monday with a Mad Genius
By Mary Pope Osborne
Grades 2-4; Genre - Historical Fiction with Fantastical Elements; GRL N; AR pts: 2.0
Jack and Annie visit Leonardo da Vinci in Italy and help him for a day.
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- Who were Jack and Annie going to visit on this adventure? Leonardo da Vinci p. 7
- What do they need to do with da Vinci? Spend the day with him p. 8
- What are the rules of the Dianthus Wand? Use it for the good of others, use it after you’ve tried your hardest, use it with a command of five words p. 9
- What did Jack and Annie hear in the distance as the tree house took them away? School bell p. 10
Chapter 2
- Where does Leonardo da Vinci live? Florence, Italy p. 13
- Why did Jack and Annie use the wand to find Leonardo? they’d done everything they could to find him already p. 20
- Why shouldn’t Annie have let the bird free? It wasn’t hers p. 23
- Who came to rescue Annie and Jack from the trouble they were in? Leonardo p. 24
Chapter 3
- How does Leonardo feel about birds? Likes to set them free as well, wants to be one p. 26
- What’s Leonardo’s secret to happiness? Fame p. 29
- Why does Leonardo want Jack and Annie to look at the clouds? To show them the art in the world around them p. 35
- Why is it important for Leonardo to look at the world around him? That’s how he gets his ideas for his paintings p. 36
Chapter 4
- What’s a fresco? A work of art painted on a wall p. 38
- What’s Leonardo’s fresco of? Battle scene from long ago defending Florence p. 42
- What was Leonardo going to try to help his paints dry? Using fire to heat them up p. 44
- What did the heat do to the fresco? Made it drip p. 46
Chapter 5
- How did the painting look after the fires? Blur of streaks and blotches, terrible p. 50
- How did Leonardo respond to the ruined painting? Upset, wanted to leave Florence p. 53
- Why do Jack and Annie follow Leonardo and find excuses to be with him? They need to spend the day with him. 50
- What does Leonardo think people will do when they see the ruined painting? Laugh at him, mock him p. 54
Chapter 6
- What does Michelangelo think about Leonardo? never finishes anything p. 57
- What are some reasons why Leonardo doesn’t finish anything? Experiments with things that don’t work, he has too many ideas p. 58
- Why does Leonardo write backwards? He’s left handed and doesn’t smear the ink p. 62
- Why does Leonardo feel like Jack and Annie have been sent to him as a sign? He’s been fearful of testing an idea, but now he’s got courage p. 66
Chapter 7
- What’s the Great Bird Leonardo wanted to show Jack and Annie? An invention to help him fly p. 71
- What did Leonardo say was broken when the Great Bird didn’t work? His heart p. 75
- Why would his heart be broken? He’s sad it failed, always feels like he’s failing and that his inventions don’t work p. 75
- What did Annie want to do for Leonardo to help him feel better? Make him fly p. 77
Chapter 8
- What did Annie do to make them fly like birds? Used the wand, turned their arms into wings p. 79
- Now that he’d really flown like a bird, what did Leonardo realize he was missing in his inventions to fly like a bird? The spirit of a bird. P. 86
- What did Leonardo realize about fame? He didn’t need it to be happy. p. 87
- Why was a woman waiting for Leonardo back in his studio? He was painting her. p. 87
Chapter 9
- How long has the woman been posing for Leonardo? three years p. 91
- What did Leonardo realize was the secret to happiness? Curiosity/ asking questions p. 95
- Why was Lisa mad at Leonardo? she’s worried he’s going to finish the painting and forget about her p. 98
- What type of bird told Jack and Annie they needed to go back home? Nightingale p. 100
Chapter 10
- What picture did Jack find in the resource book about Lisa? Mona Lisa p. 103
- What does the Italian word mona mean? My lady in Italian. P. 103
- What did Jack and Annie bring back from Leonardo that will help them remember him? Drawing of the girl/ angel p. 105
- Now that Jack realized how fun asking questions is, how does he feel about going to school? Not nervous anymore, excited to get the answers to his question p. 106