1-2-3 Draw Baby Animals

Freddie Levin
Peel Productions, Inc. (2006)
ISBN 0939217457
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (10/06)

My love of drawing began when I was a kid, and it was because of books like this one.  “1-2-3 Draw Baby Animals” is a fun how-to book for kids age 4-8.  It is designed to improve drawing skills with a subject no child can resist – baby animals!  The book starts with some tips, such as the importance of sketching in your lines at first, so that they can be erased later, and how to notice shapes and sizes of shapes.  Freddie Levin stresses the importance of being comfortable with the basic shapes, such as circle, oval, and triangle, and tools that can be used to assist younger children or those with poor motor skills to get them started.

Practice, practice, practice is definitely the key to success.  I drew all thirty animals in this book, and saw an improvement from my first rabbit to my last frog.  The step-by-step process that is consistent from animal to animal really got me in a groove. 

The great thing about this book is that it is not only a lesson in drawing; it has facts and tidbits about the baby animals being drawn.  Freddie Levin covers your typical baby animals such as lamb, puppy, kitten, and bunny, but she also throws in exotic animals, such as the meerkat, lemur, aardvark, and parrot. 

Based on this book, I am sure that the other books in the “1-2-3 Draw” series are just as good.  With subjects such as “Cars, Trucks and Other Vehicles”, “Dinosaurs” and “Mythical Creatures” any kid should be able to find a subject that is right for him or her.  I would like to see the author expand her series to include books on the wonderful shading technique she uses and that is only touched on in the drawing book.

The simple instructions and encouraging words in “1-2-3 Draw” make this a fun instructional book for any young artist.  If I, as an adult with a background in art, found myself thrilled by the drawings I was able to make, imagine the excitement of a child using this book to make his or her first steps as an artist.  Freddie Levin is cultivating the next generation of artistic masters with this series.

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