Invitation to Draw: 99 Drawing Prompts to Inspire Kids Creativity

by Jean Van't Hul

Help children draw and think more creatively by inspiring them with interesting and challenging art prompts and questions.

Invitation to Draw offers 99 open-ended drawing prompts, each one proposing a question to investigate that encourages children to free associate and problem solve. The perforated pages make it easy to tear out prompts for on-the-go activities or allowing multiple kids to draw at the same time. A blank cake provides the chance to decorate a dream confection, an empty house inspires stories about who lives there, and a grid of triangles supplies the chance to explore abstract art. What might be hiding in that tree? What sort of robot can you design? The possibilities are endless!

Drawing prompts inspire and encourage kids to think and draw differently, and sometimes more creatively, than they might when faced with a blank page. By offering constraints such as a pair of eyes or an empty car and asking a question, children begin thinking about the possibilities and answering the question in their heads even before they put pen (or marker or crayon!) to paper. And through the act of drawing and observing the drawing unfold, the brain continues to think and problem solve, opening up all kinds of creative possibilities around that specific idea.

• ISBN10: 1611808510
• ISBN13: 9781611808513
• Publish Date: 15 June 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Roost Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 208
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781611808513

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Invitation to Draw is a fun guide aimed at younger readers with interactive prompts for creative play by Jean Van't Hul. Due out 15th June 2021 from Roost Books, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is a graphically appealing and accessible guide with 99 varied and fun tutorial prompts and exercises aimed at young readers with structured ideas to engage them and get them drawing. So much of our lives have been put on hold during the pandemic (and that includes our kids especially who have virtually no control over anything happening to them). Drawing and self-expression can give a measure of control and stress relief to everyone, including youngsters. This book includes lots of different prompts which can also become an important part of online/distance learning. Many of these tutorials will fit seamlessly into home learning with or without other classes.

Most of the pages include fill-in-the-blank type frames and partial drawings for things like dialogue, settings, small drawn stories, story boards, and more. One feature which I really loved was the inclusion of some solid advice from the author to parents and facilitators with good ideas on how to use the book and make it relevant for different ages and situations (for example laminating a page and using it again and again).

The book can be used in a linear manner, front to back, as well as a pick-and-choose resource with specific prompts where needed. Though the book is aimed at youngsters, there are some good takeaways here for readers of all ages. I enjoyed it a lot and the exercises were really fun.

Five stars. This would make a superlative classroom or home learning resource.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
at May 15, 2021 Email This