How To Draw All The Things For Kids || Alli Koch

I don’t normally review books that have no words because there’s very little you can say about them. Yes, they have stage-by-stage illustrations, usually, but without written instructions, the working process is entirely down to the user and completely subjective. Rather than review the book, I’d really need to be writing about you, the gentle reader. And I don’t think either of us want that.

This, though, is such a brilliant idea that it merits a mention. Yes, it’s all the foregoing, but books aimed at children need to catch their imagination immediately. Instruction is work and work is school and, well, down with skool, as Nigel Molesworth reminded us.

The pages here are friendly – the outlines are large and the images rounded in a way that makes them inviting (don’t argue with me, this is subjective, I told you that). They also include, as well as animals, insects and figures, a cupcake, a camera and even a unicorn (yes, of course they exist if you have a vivid enough imagination).

I have an ongoing project to send anything like this down to my grandchildren and, at some point, I may be able to report on how they get on with them.

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Modern Watercolor Botanicals || Sarah Simon

Let’s say first of all that this is a very attractively presented book. That’s not to damn it with faint praise, but rather to emphasise just how much first impressions matter. As soon as I look at its gilt spiral binding and edge reinforcements, I just want to like it.

The content is a series of lessons and exercises in painting flowers and flower arrangements. There’s a standardised layout that makes following the instructions easy and each demonstration comes with plenty of step-by-step illustrations. Instructions are offered for three different skill levels: beginner, intermediate or advanced. I’ve always resisted this classification as one person’s beginner is another’s expert – I’ve spoken to professional painters who’ve said “I’m really only a beginner” and people who’ve been working for all of six months and can’t be taught anything new. Still, at least it offers you the opportunity to choose how much detail and hand-holding you want, even if at the cost of perhaps a little over-writing.

The basic outlines which, it should be said, have a strong graphic content, are traceable, so you can work with prepared outlines if you want. There’s also plenty of information about colour and materials. Yes, this has its limitations, but it’s also comprehensive and easy to understand once you get the hang of the format.

I wanted to like it and I do.

Click the picture to view on Amazon