This is a fun book for people of any age who want to learn to draw cartoon animals, with clear instruction on how to draw everything from basic shapes to how to add perspective and shading. It would be best as a paper book, where artists could draw over the the provided examples, either directly on the page or by putting another sheet over the examples.

This is a great how-to book on drawing magical creatures. I definitely need help in the drawing department, so these step by step pictures really helped me.

Show-How Guides: Drawing Animals is a fun tutorial guide for all-ages (mostly aimed at younger artists) by Keith Zoo. Due out 31st Aug 2021 from Macmillan on their Odd Dot imprint, it's 48 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a short, energetic, and encouraging guide with lots of punchy colorful graphics and simple step-by-step tutorials.The lessons are "narrated" in humorous panels by a variety of animals and an anthropomorphic dot (wearing an outback hat, no less).

The book's lessons cover tools and supplies, shading, texture, detail, space (foreground/mid/and background) in simple line drawn panels with easy to read captions. The chapters with the actual tutorials for animals follow the same general format - a simple line drawn shape is followed step by step with added lines and refinements in a different color, leading to a finished drawing. The animals are fun and humorous with cute faces and accessories (the cat's nonplussed facial expression is worth the price of admission by itself). All of the info here is appropriate for all ages, beginner accessible, and fun. It's slanted toward younger readers, but would also be a good choice for adults, caregivers, teachers, and others who work with kids who are trying to up their game for drawing/coloring time.

This would make a great selection for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving (perhaps bundled with some basic drawing supplies).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Show-How Guides: Drawing Animals: The 7 Essential Techniques 19 Adorable Animals Everyone Should Know!
by Keith Zoo

This is such a cute and easy to use book that kids that know basic shapes can create adorable animals in minutes! Something they will be proud to show off!

It's a step by step showing where to put the shapes, and soon there is an animal! Small amount of erasing unused lines but the book shows where to do that too!

The animals to create include a cat, dog, hamster, bird, cow, pig, llama, horse, fox, bear, squirrel, hedgehog, elephant, giraffe, snake, frog, lizard, fish, and whale.

A perfect beginner's book for absolute beginners that will build skills and confidence! If the child can make basic shapes, they can make animals!

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fun book! Great for gift giving and for inspiring youth!

A nifty little guide with simple line drawings using shapes to draw animals for middle grades at an attractive price. ($5.99) The Guide includes seven (7) ‘essential techniques’ and nineteen (19) ‘adorable animals’ with basic step-by-step tutorials.

The animals are in categories of pets, farm animals, forest creatures, safari animals, reptiles and amphibians, and aquatic animals. The illustrations are very simple line drawings in black and green, beginning with shapes, then embellished with appendages and facial features. To add such detail however, one needs to replicate what is seen in the final illustration. This is to say that there is not a step-by-step instruction for the embellishments.

At this price point, in my opinion, it’s what I would expect. The book measures 4” x 6.5” with a total of 48 pages in a Flexi-bound, trade paperback. I could easily see it entertain an elementary and/or middle grade child in the classroom, at home, or on a car trip. Animals are notoriously difficult to draw for most kids, and some adults, so this is an inexpensive help.

I viewed this prepublication copy as an eBook, but I imagine the printed book would be even better.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group

"Show-How Guides: Drawing Animals simplifies the drawing process for beginners. The resulting art is realistic enough to satisfy the young artist without the frustration of more detailed how-to draw books. The text used simple words young artists are more likely able to read. Once they figure out the instructions for one animal, they are able to follow along for the remaining animals as there is a clear pattern in the instructions. The "Add more detail" instruction is highly reliant on being able to pick out the detail added in the sample picture.

SHOW-HOW GUIDES: DRAWING ANIMALS by Keith Zoo (Zulawnik) 5 stars

Fun and Easy

This is a handy book that shows you step-by-step how to draw animals. There are 19 different animals to draw. You could expound upon them and draw dozens of other animals if you wanted.

This is described as a children's book, but it is presented in such a way that anyone can follow the directions and not feel like less of a person because you are using the book. It is a handy size, you can stick it anywhere.

Do you already know how to draw? You can use this book to get helpful tips on the different things you should be aware of when drawing. Have you never put pencil to paper? No problem, jump right in and start sketching. It's fun and it's easy.

Highly recommend.

Many thanks to #netgalley and #macmillian for the complimentary copy of showhowguidesdrawing animals I was under no obligation to post a review.

This is a great drawing book and I love how it goes beyond the main thing to add details and setting. This is one that will be very popular in my library. I enjoyed using it myself to try out some new drawing skills.

This is a nice, basic primer for drawing animals for kids. It uses the technique of overlapping shapes and then erasing pencil lines and I'm really not a fan of that method, but it is one effective way of easily drawing animals. There aren't a huge amount of animal but there are several types (water, farm, etc.) and they'll be easy for kids to replicate. The very low price point also makes this book a great resource.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

This is such a great book for someone who wants to learn how to draw or loves animals!!! This book goes into all that is needed to draw animals. You will learn about shading and texture. There are so many different animals that you get to draw!! Each animal to shown step by step on how to draw it. You also have directions with each picture to show what is needed to be done. I think that this would be wonderful for a classroom and also for a kid to just work on at home.