Draw Dinosaurs

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

Doug DuBosque encourages incipient artists to draw twenty-four dinosaurs via easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and a practical sense of humor. The dinosaurs are grouped according to basic body shape, Ovalsaurs, Trianglesaurs, and Solidsaurs. Those who prefer to Cut & Make Dinosaur Masks (1997, Dover, $5.95, ISBN: 0-486-29548-6) can clip Christy Shaffer's artfully drawn eleven. The colorful masks, Tyrannosaurus and Pachycephalosaurus among them, are printed on sturdy, 9 x 12-inch stock-some with three-dimensional features.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-This step-by-step approach to pencil sketching begins with a list of basic supplies. Unlike Lee Ames's ``Draw 50'' series (Doubleday), DuBosque clarifies each step with a brief description of the technique. Frequent encouragements of ``Try it again, if it doesn't look right the first time'' add to the child appeal of this how-to book. Commencing with the drawing of dinosaurs using just a swoop of a line (linosaurs), students are guided through a progression of more difficult spacial relationships: ovalsaurs, trianglesaurs, solidsaurs. As each type of creature is sketched, different techniques are explained. The final chapter puts them all into play, with suggestions as to shading, points of perspective, and background detailing. Brief facts about real dinosaurs are provided in sidebars that include a pronunciation key; they are indexed by their scientific names. Directions for the construction of a portfolio are given, encouraging youngsters to practice and to save all of their work. DuBosque's How Do You Draw Dinosaurs? (Peel, 1989) is very wordy and has a less appealing format. Michael Emberly's Dinosuars! (Little, 1980) offers the step-by-step approach, but is not as simplified and lacks the explanatory narrative. Draw! Dinosaurs will be readily used by young artists on their own, with satisfying results.-Beth Irish, Orange Public Library, CA