Drawing Is…: Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures
by Elizabeth Haidle; illus. by the author
Primary, Intermediate    Tundra    72 pp.
5/25    9781774885031    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781774885048    $11.99

Starting from the out-of-order table of contents inviting readers to “choose your own order of scribbled adventures,” this art history/hands-on exercise book not only covers a lot of ground topically but does so in an unconventional and playful manner. Five tutorials introduce concepts such as line, scale, contrast, texture, and pattern. Interspersed among the tutorials are discussions about drawing and the purpose of art. A whimsical intermission in the middle of the book asks readers to look at and then try drawing cute baby animals. Haidle completes the phrase “drawing is…” many times, with such unexpected answers as “two-dimensional traveling,” “wondering,” “feeling,” and, perhaps most surprisingly, “not knowing.” Each discussion is paired with illustrated examples and quotes from well-known contemporary and historical figures. For example, drawing is “magic” because it can allow you to “draw your way into a new mood” or “draw your own sense of belonging.” The tutorials pair nicely with the last section, a series of hands-on exercises in which theory is applied to practice. Haidle’s illustration style is unusual, combining human and animal forms, visual sequences, and humorous depictions of abstract concepts. This comprehensive introduction provides much fodder for artistic growth and experimentation.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.