Hooked on Drawing: Illustrated Lessons & Exercises for Grades 4 and Up

This book provides teachers background on all materials useful for drawing instruction. The lessons are detailed with set-up, materials, learning goals, and steps. There is a detailed glossary of terms that are related to art instruction. The author provides helpful hints about using specific art supplies to advantage. However, one disappointment with the format of this book is, there are few color pictures. Most student made examples are shown in black and white.

I found the exercises helpful to get me seeing and drawingagain after a very long layoff.

I am always leary of drawing instruction books for elementary age children, because many of them are too 'project' oriented and don't focus on concepts and skills related to drawing. This book is different. The author really understands the artistic process in general, and the drawing process in specific. She also clearly understands the developmental stages children go through. She encourages drawing from life, and covers the basic drawing elements and skills in many easily taught lessons that can be adapted to any teacher's circumstances. I use several basic references already, notably Rottger/Klante's "Creative Drawing" and Thiel's "Freehand Drawing". This author's work dovetails nicely with those books, while still giving new ideas on how to teach drawing to children. Students like and are successful at the projects I have taught from her book. A must buy for elementary and middle school/junior high art teachers.