DRONE: Leonardo

Yes, there is actually a drone named Leonardo! Many of the photos and videos you see in the book and on this website were taken by Leonardo.

Leonardo is a DJI Mavic 2 Pro model. As of late 2019, he’s flown over 130 flights for a total of over 30 hours of air time and 100 miles of flight distance. Leonardo has a snappy personality and loves to take photos and videos from the sky!

AUTHOR: John A. Purdy

John A. Purdy has a passion for both photography and drones. Not surprisingly, he’s combined these to author this children’s book series.

He’s been a professional photographer for many years; always loving to take photos that see things differently.

John has been a commercially licensed drone pilot since 2017. When cameras on drones became better and he saw the high quality photos and videos created by drones, John was hooked! He wanted to take his skills as a photographer into the sky so he could share a view of the world from a whole new perspective. John has taught drone photo and video classes, and is a leader in a local 2000-member drone user group.

In addition to these skills and interests, John is a web developer and co-owner of the digital media company, Creative Cat Media. And… husband of the super-talented illustrator of the “Leonardo” series, Cindy Rodella-Purdy.

ILLUSTRATOR: Cindy Rodella-Purdy

Illustrator Cindy Rodella-Purdy delights in bringing books to life. Her whimsical style fits her own enchanting stories and those of other authors. She’s an author as well, having penned the currently published “The Bed Ate My Sock!” and several other books that are in the queue.

With a BFA in fine arts, she has worn many hats over the years, from working as a designer, programmer, and project manager in digital media to picture book illustration and writing. Her artistic passion energizes her company, Creative Cat Media. She lives in her own imagination but resides in Dallas with her husband John and favorite felines, Hubble and Tess.