Most famous as the painter who created the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is also one of history's greatest geniuses - he was a mathematician, architect, astronomer, scientist and musician...and he even invented the helicopter! From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with colourful illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Most famous as the painter who created the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is also one of history's greatest geniuses - he was a mathematician, architect, astronomer, scientist and musician... and he even invented the helicopter! From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with colourful illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

During the Rococo period, wealthy women tucked shells, necklaces, fruit, and flowers into their hair, which was styled into towers that reached as high as three feet over their heads. In 1970s London, young, disfranchised "punks" made themselves feel powerful by drawing on the 2,000-year-old Native American practice of shaving their heads except for a narrow strip from forehead to neck. These are just a couple of many fascinating moments of hair history whimsically illustrated in this book. Katja Spitzer's colorful illustrations are presented in double-page spreads that offer an engaging description of a hair trend or style and its cultural and historic significance. Readers will learn why hair braiders in West Africa can spend an entire day working on one client; and how Black Americans signaled their opposition to racist laws and practices by not styling their naturally frizzy hair. Filled with important history and giggle-inducing facts, this wide-ranging book crosses cultures and oceans to offer an important lesson about self- expression that will encourage readers of all ages to let down their hair, and to let others do the same.