Good Stuff

by John Holbo on July 13, 2008

Three unique books by Taro Gomi (that’s a link to the author’s site): Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book [amazon]. Then click around to find the companion volumes, entitled Scribbles and Doodles. Each page gives the kid a partial, starter-scribble and an assignment. ‘Draw the flag of the bunnies’. Or ‘add water’ to a picture of a bunch of fire fighters. Or ‘add some leaves’ to a page of bare trees. Or a simple line of stairs with ‘draw people walking down, some of them falling!’ The books are big – 350+ pages. Not expensive. Good for trips. (I just sent my kids state-side with Belle, each armed with a Gomi book.)

The books do a great job of providing lots of great ideas for kid art without the instructions becoming bossy and boring, a happy balance struck in virtue of the author/illustrator’s talent for whimsical, back-to-basics simplicity.

Gomi is author of the immortal Everybody Poops

{ 4 comments }

1

Frank 07.13.08 at 10:17 am

Here, in the UK, prospective buyers, who follow your link to Amazon, see this information:

Let the Buyer Beware [BOX SET]
Lenny Bruce

List Price: $69.98
Price: $69.98 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

2

John Holbo 07.13.08 at 10:37 am

Well, sorry about that frank. The sale must have ended. Post updated to keep from wasting others’ time. (But it was a good deal while it lasted.)

3

vivian 07.14.08 at 2:47 am

Those look great, must try them. If Belle is traveling halfway around the world alone with two young kids, wow, that’s ambitious.

4

smaug 07.16.08 at 4:05 pm

After reading this, I picked up his Doodles All Year at Minneapolis’ excellent children’s book store “Wild Rumpus” for my 3-year-old daughter.

But… I also picked up The Story of Babar, thinking ‘Why not start her at the beginning?”

Four pages in, Babar’s mom gets wacked by a wicked hunter. The kid’s upset.

So it was off to the woods. We had to garrote three hunters before she was happy.

Thanks, Holbo.

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