________________ CM . . . . Volume XIV Number 21. . . .June 13, 2008

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123 I Can Draw! (Starting Art).

Irene Luxbacher.
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2008.
24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55453-152-3 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55453-039-7 (hc.).

Subject Heading:
Drawing-Technique-Juvenile literature.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7.

Review by Elizabeth Walker.

**** /4

   
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123 I Can Make Prints! (Starting Art).

Irene Luxbacher.
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2008.
24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55453-153-0 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55453-040-3 (hc.)

Subject Headings:
Prints-Technique-Juvenile literature.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7.

Review by Elizabeth Walker.

**** /4

   

excerpt:

A drawing is a PICTURE you make with pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers or chalk. It can look like something real or something you imagine. Let's draw people… (From 123 I Can Draw!)

A print is ART you make by pressing a thing you have painted onto a piece of paper to make a copy. It can look like something real or something you imagine. Let's make prints of insects… (From
123 I Can Make Prints!)

 

Irene Luxbacher's new art series aimed at young children between the ages of 4 and 7 is an appealing concept and will undoubtedly inspire young artists to experiment with different techniques and materials. Each book follows the same format: a two-page spread about materials precedes several different step-by-step techniques. The final spreads invite readers to combine all their new skills in one unique creation. Each book ends with an informative section for parents and teachers as well as an illustrated glossary. The colour scheme of the books relies on black and white line drawings which are counter pointed with the bright bursts of colour in her diagrams.

     In 123 I Can Draw!, readers learn how to convey movement, texture and facial expressions, among other techniques. Luxbacher's simple layout provides easy to follow, carefully illustrated steps on the left hand page and a finished product on the right hand side. She succeeds in breaking down some fairly advanced skills – such as body proportions – into manageable steps that even young children will be able to follow. This book is a huge improvement on the "Learn to Draw" books of my childhood, where the step-by-step diagrams were frustratingly complicated.

      123 I Can Make Prints! is delightfully inspiring – even more than its companion volume. Luxbacher has numerous ideas for everyday materials that can be used in printmaking, from sponges to tin foil to Styrofoam meat trays. Her sample insect creations are so adorable that I had to restrain myself from raiding the recycling bin in order to make my own prints.

      What delights me the most about these books is their celebration of experimenting and getting messy and, most of all, having fun. Unlike many other arts and crafts books, the finished products on display are not perfect – they look just like what a young child would create, and so the emphasis is really placed on the process rather than the product. As someone who grew up with intimidating art books that always showcased perfect finished products that were obviously created by a highly trained adult artists, these books are completely refreshing. Anyone with a young artist in their family will find these a perfect gift to inspire creativity.

Highly Recommended.

Elizabeth Walker is a student in UBC's Master of Arts in Children's Literature program.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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