By the time they returned to America just as World War II was heating up, the young Lionni family had two sons. It was there that he would eventually meet his wife, Norah.
Rather soon though, the family moved to Italy. He lived with his grandparents in Brussels, but eventually, he joined his mother and father in Philadelphia. His parents went to America without him when he was twelve years old. Leo grew up surrounded by work from some of the most famous avant-garde painters, which complemented the more traditional art he saw in the museums.
He traveled a lot, so he stored these amazing paintings with his relatives, including Leo’s family. Leo’s Uncle Willem was a diamond broker and famous art collector. They made such an impression on him that many decades later he could still remember them perfectly, as he could with clarity recall so much about his tiny pets and nature scapes. He learned to draw details from great works - plaster casts of famous statues. Further, as a child, he had a special pass so he could go there to draw whenever he wished. Leo was very lucky to live just a few blocks from two wonderful museums. Like so many successful children’s authors, Leo Lionni was able to remember and tap into the things that were important to him when he was a child.Īs his interest in drawing grew, he was mentored by his Uncle Piet, who was both an architect and an artist. He also created terrariums, and many of these natural details found their way into his later work. He loved nature and started keeping small creatures-minnows, birds, fish, and more - in his attic room in Amsterdam. Leo Lionni was born into a family that appreciated art, and, from a very young age, he knew he wanted to be an artist.
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