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Children’s Book Briefs
Sharon Warwick
The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Rachel Isadora. New York, NY: Pen-
guin Young Reader’s Group, 2007.
Illus., hardcover, 32 pp., $16.99.
This enchanting children’s trade
book tells the story of twelve princesses who, night after night, wear
out their shoes without leaving their
bedroom. The confused king offers a
reward to anyone who can solve this
mystery and the fun begins! Author
Rachel Isadora, who lived in Africa
for ten years, creates a handpainted
and collaged mystery that is African
in appearance. She has written and
illustrated numerous award-winning
picture books. Children in elementary school will read and re-read
this charming mystery while being
inspired by the illustrations.
The Drawing Breakthrough Book: A
Shortcut to Artistic Excellence. John
Hastings. Hillsborough, OR: Draw
3 Lines Publishing, 2007. Illus.,
softcover, 103 pp., $15.95.
Students will learn to improve basic
drawing skills as they create line
drawings with easy-to-read, step-by-step instructions, exercises, and
tips. The observation and drawing
techniques in the book are ideal for
students at any level, from age thirteen to adult. It is organized in three
parts: starting to draw, mastering the
building-block lines, and expanding
your drawing skills. Recommended
readings and a glossary of terms
make this useful technique book easy
to follow, and the tips for getting the
most from the book are designed to
help readers sequence and improve
drawing skills and knowledge.
—Sharon Warwick is a national art consultant for Davis Publications.
Bookmarks
Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap. Bernadette Berlin. Cincinnati, OH: North Light
Books, 2007. Illus., softcover, 128
pp., $22.99.
This inspiring book presents the idea
of creating artist trading cards (ATCs)
as a means to share your art and connect with other artists by trading and
collecting miniature works of art.
Colorful photos illustrate techniques
to teach you how to create your own
cards. Some of the artistic ideas presented utilize the following: watercolor on baby wipes, paint on paper
towel, glass-like resin, fused fibers,
handstitching, and mica. Readers are
encouraged to trade cards in person,
but if that is not possible, online
swapping locations are listed. This
book will motivate children through
senior citizens to create and trade
ATCs.
Rembrandt: Images and Metaphors.
Christian and Astrid Tümpel. Lon-
don: Haus Publishing, 2006. Illus.,
hardcover, 320 pp., $60.
This impressively illustrated book is
a masterpiece of writing by a couple
whose life work has greatly centered
on the study of Rembrandt. Although
Rembrandt is a common household
name, the authors provide a unique
angle in understanding him. Their
devotion to clarification and understanding of methods used by Rembrandt to create expression and form
in his subjects includes interpretation
of biographical and cultural events.
The writers offer a timely tribute to
the prosperous seventeenth-century
era of Rembrandt, who succeeded in
advancing as the first modern artist
in spite of great odds.
—Reviewed by Rebecca Martin, director
of education at the Sid Richardson Collection in Fort Worth, Texas.
Painting on Glass & Ceramic.
Karen Embry. New York, NY: Ster-
ling Publishing, 2008. Hardcover,
128 pp., $24.95.
In Painting on Glass & Ceramic,
award-winning artist Karen Embry
teaches how to transform ordinary
items into art. Embry’s thorough
description of glass and ceramic
