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Sculptor, painter, poet, architect, engineer—Michelangelo was the definition of the Renaissance man. In Michelangelo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities (July 2016, Ages 9 and up), award-winning author Simonetta Carr introduces kids to one of the greatest artists who has ever lived. Here, Carr answers a few questions about what brought her to this project, and what she learned along the way.

First, let’s talk about your background a bit and why you were so uniquely equipped to write this book.

I was born in Italy, a country brimming with art and history. I followed classical studies (Liceo Classico—a type of high school which focuses on ancient Greek, Latin, philosophy, and Italian literature and includes a course in art history). I was almost at the end of the mandatory five years when I decided to switch fields of study and completed the required courses to become a primary school teacher. These courses included history of education, child psychology, and an internship in a primary school. After the diploma, I obtained a position as third-grade teacher. In the afternoons, I taught a special course for gifted children. Since I had also attended an art course at the Scuola Superiore d’Arte Applicata del Castello Sforzesco, I was also responsible for setting up art programs in the school. I enjoyed my work very much.

A passion for adventure and meeting my future husband (a native of Philadelphia) combined to whisk me away to more exotic lands. We got married in Africa and lived in many other countries, where he taught English as a second language while I translated books and articles from English to Italian and contributed to English and Italian newspapers and magazines. Soon our lives were graced with the presence of children. We enjoyed them so much that we ended up with eight–seven boys and one girl. Since we were still much on the move, we decided to homeschool them.

All these experiences prepared me to write books for children. My knowledge of art history, passion for art, and teaching experience were particularly useful in writing Michelangelo for Kids.

How did you go about doing research for Michelangelo for Kids?

Michelangelo lived almost 90 years and accomplished more than any other artist I have ever studied. His works include sculptures, paintings, drawings, poems, and architectural masterpieces. Besides, Europe changed rapidly and dramatically during his life time, as it moved from the medieval to the modern era. To do justice to the subject, I had to study not only the artist’s life and works, but also the time period in which he lived and how it affected him. The bibliography at the end of my book lists only a few of the many books I have read and consulted.

As a native of Italy, I was able to read the primary sources in the original Italian language, including Michelangelo’s letters and poems. It was a great privilege and opportunity to notice the inflections and expressions that color the writings and that are often lost in translation.

Did you come across anything in your research that surprised you?

There was a lot that surprised me! Before this study, I must admit I had succumbed to the popular notion of Michelangelo as a loner and recluse who couldn’t work well with others, which is far from the truth. His letters especially helped me to discover his human affections and his sense of humor. They also gave me a greater understanding of his daily challenges and a deeper appreciation for the blood, sweat, and tears behind his masterpieces.

Do you have a favorite among Michelangelo’s works of art?

It’s hard not to love everything Michelangelo did, but I must say I am particularly intrigued by his later paintings and sculptures. He started his career looking for perfection, and came pretty close to it, but around the end of his life he set some of that aside in order to communicate something deeper. I think his later works go hand in hand with his poems in researching and expressing what really matters in life and in death.

Why did you think a book about Michelangelo was needed for children?

Michelangelo’s contributions to the history of art and his influence on later generations of artists is too great to be dismissed. In my experience, most American children know very little about Michelangelo–usually the David and the Creation of Adam. In reality, there is much more to this man and his art, which is important in order to understand later generations of artists.

Besides, Michelangelo worked incessantly for most of his 89 years, with patience, perseverance, and just plain hard work. While he always considered himself a sculptor of stone, he also (sometimes begrudgingly) worked on paintings, bronze statues, and architectural projects, embracing the challenges, solving problems, and refusing to do less than his best. This daily, ordinary struggle is often forgotten when we look at his masterpieces, but it provides important lessons for children in our culture of easy promises and instant gratification.

With your background in homeschooling, how do you see this book being used by homeschooling parents, teachers, and/or art instructors?

While this book is appropriate for any child, I have written it with homeschooling families in mind. It will fit very well in a history-based curriculum, providing enough material to cover history, geography, art appreciation, literature, writing, geometry, and much more. I endeavored to make the 21 activities as engaging and diverse as possible, and aimed at giving children a taste of some of the experiences Michelangelo and his contemporaries might have faced. Most of the activities are explained in a way that is simple enough for younger siblings and can easily be taken to a higher level.

-Caitlin Eck

Michelangelo for Kids is available wherever books or e-books are sold.

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