How to Draw the Circus

School Library Journal

ea. vol: illus. by author. 32p. (How to Draw Series). Watermill Pr, dist. by Troll. 1987. PLB $8.89; pap. $1.95. Gr 2 Up These books follow a prescribed formula of 32 pages. The first page lists the materials needed (which are never referred to again); this is followed by a short paragraph about each subject, and steps to take (generally never over three) in order to draw the subject. Both books have serious flaws: oversimplified steps and no technique in shading or showing three dimensions. A better book on drawing circus objects is Lee J. Ames' Twenty-Five Crayon Drawings of the Circus (Doubleday, 1980; o.p.) which gives children some real instructions in drawing using shading, perspective, and varying the medium to create different effects. In the book on drawing sea creatures, Soloff-Levy offers a short paragraph about each creature that raises more questions than it answers. The text mentions that the male seahorse gives birth to its babies, but nothing more is said about it. The author also mentions how very colorful the sea creatures are, but unless readers locate a color picture elsewhere, they won't be able to color their drawings realistically. Some of the steps are so simplified that the subject doesn't look like anything at all. Paul Frame's Drawing Sharks, Whales, Dolphins and Seals (Watts, 1983) does a better job of drawing instruction for some of the same creatures that are pictured here. Patricia Homer, Lowville Academy, N.Y.