It's Fun to Draw Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals

Gr 2–4—These books provide numbered step-by-step instructions and clear visuals that make drawing simple and rewarding for younger children. Many of the written directions use standard shapes to explain how to create a part of the animal, e.g., "Draw two long lines for the neck and an oval shape for the body." While Rob Court's How to Draw Dinosaurs (The Child's World, 2005) provides a template for children to draw realistically, these books are clearly aimed at younger children with more kidlike results. The spreads include complete visual and written instructions for each animal with a full-color illustration on the facing page. As a bonus, the instructions include an interesting factoid about each creature, and an offset section called "You Can Do It!" describes more advanced techniques children can try, ranging from crayon resist and pastel smudging to watercolor sponging.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library