DRAWING WITH SQUIGGLES & WIGGLES: CREATE 100+ CARTOONS WITH FUN SHAPES! — Review

Thought for the Day:

“Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.”
~ Truman Capote ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Writing in multiple viewpoints is becoming more and more popular, but to do it well is no easy task. HERE Anne R. Allen has a great post called How Can a Writer Show Multiple Points of View without Head-Hopping? Very helpful.

Writing outside your culture is controversial. HERE Beem Weeks writes for Story Empire Blog about Writing Cultures Not Your Own.

There comes a time in each writer’s life when he or she has to think about hiring an editor. It’s an expensive undertaking and a hard choice. HERE Janice Hardy has a great post on that topic: Behind the Red Pen: What to Look for When Vetting an Editor.

It’s been a rainy week here in the Sacramento area, and we really need it. I hope it just keeps on coming, although it is challenging to find a good time of day for my walks. But the weather in other places has been crazy. I hope you are all safe and warm. Storyteller Academy has started their classes up again, and they have really changed things up. I haven’t quite figured out if I like the new ways or not. I’m visiting different things and checking things out. I’ve been able to get some feedback on a query letter that was really helpful, so that’s a plus. I’ve made some submissions lately and hope springs eternal. I am also doing StoryStorm this month. It’s always fun, challenging, and inspirational. It is such a lovely gift for picture book writers in January, just when we all need a kick in the pants. Thanks, Tara!

Last week I offered a gently-read signed copy of HANGABOUT: FAR FROM HOME by Ree Augustine to one of you. The winner this time is Kasey from The Story Sanctuary. Congratulations, Kasey! I will get your book out to you soon. If you don’t know Kasey, she is an Oregon writer and posts lots of great book reviews on her site, which you can find HERE.

I’ve had this one on my list for quite a while. I should have gotten to it sooner, but sometimes things just fall off my radar, and I’m late with them. When I was teaching, I had lots of students that drew on everything. I would get final exams with cartoons all over them and essays with drawings in every margin. I always admired that since stick men were pretty much what I could do. I’m sure if this book had been around, I would have had more of those kids. DRAWING WITH SQUIGGLES AND WIGGLES: CREATE 100+ CARTOONS WITH FUN SHAPES! by Christopher Hart will be really popular with middle-grade kids (and old people like me who still hope to be able to draw something recognizable). Here is the review I wrote for the Seattle Book Review.

A lot of young people would love to be able to draw, but they are intimidated by the idea of it. They are afraid it is too hard and takes a very special talent and that others might laugh at their efforts. But Christopher Hart has put together a wonderful book that should go a long way toward dispelling those fears. There are a lot of drawing-made-easy kinds of books out there that don’t really make anything easy, but this one truly does. As one pages through this book, one will find drawing cartoon characters broken down into very simple steps that really anyone can do. Each spread has one art idea with eight or nine steps from a simple squiggle to a finished piece of art. There are a few spreads that have two art ideas that require fewer steps. Each art idea has a title and a short paragraph explaining what the art idea is and what makes it an interesting idea. There are big hints showcased on many pages. Following these simple steps will quickly build confidence in young artists and give them a foundation for creating more complex art projects.

Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.