MY VERY FAVORITE ART BOOK SERIES
Jennifer Lipsey is the author and illustrator of the best-selling young children's art book series My Very Favorite Art Books. Sold world wide, these books have truly become favorites for children and adults alike.
Lipsey teaches art to kids near Asheville, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and baby boy.
To order books by Jennifer Lipsey, ask for them at your local bookseller or go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
 I Love to Draw!
There's nothing kids like more than putting pencil, crayon, or chalk to paper and drawing their favorite things. But mastering technical skills isn't always easy for them. So visual artist and instructor Jennifer Lipsey has created an appealing new series that gently takes youngsters 4-to-8 beyond what they know--and this first entry introduces them to some very simple drawing basics. On the left page are hand-drawn how-tos, all in bright purple. On the right is the finished piece, with even more entertaining things to do. And the minimal text allows even pre-readers to follow the instructions easily. While children happily create great pictures of ice cream, dinosaurs, and bicycles, they're learning how to turn basic lines into shapes, construct accurately proportioned people and objects, capture silhouettes, and produce realistic three-dimensional effects.
Reviews
From Barnes & Noble
We love this book because it teaches art basics to juniors in a fun and interactive way. If you know any school-age kids who are starting to get serious about their art, this is a kid-centric, nonjudgmental way to get them to take the next step on their creative journey. Some art books nominally for kids are really not geared for children.
Emphasizing drawing basics through fun exercises, "I Love to Draw" sees through the eyes of children in order to train their artistic eyes; and that approach can be the difference sometimes between art being just serious -- or serious fun.
From The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 18, No. 4)
Drawing time! What a wonderful time for elementary students! But where does one begin? This is a wonderful initial drawing book for elementary students. The simple to more complex pictures use basic shapes. The student draws step by step: bugs, trees, animals, people, and cars. Over 20 fun-to-draw items are taught. Each new drawing step is shown in pink, while the drawing steps already finished are shown in black. This makes the drawing process easy to follow. I highly recommend this drawing book. Students can use it alone, or a teacher could model these ideas for classroom art instruction. Every student will succeed using these techniques. Nonfiction (741.2), Highly Recommended. Grades 1-6. 2005, Lark Books, 48p., $9.95. Ages 6 to 12. Twyla Wallace
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 I Love to Paint!
It's amazing what even the littlest ones can achieve when they practice on projects that feel like pure fun--not work. And one look at these cheerful, kid-friendly activities will have youngsters begging for a brush and paper. With everything from landscapes to classic still lifes, there's plenty here to fill up an entire refrigerator gallery. While creating finished pieces that will brighten every parent's heart, budding painters will easily master such techniques as mixing colors, brushwork, and creating texture with sponging, ragging and spattering. Filled with plenty of practical tips, creative ideas, and beautiful hand-painted illustrations, I Love to Paint guides new artists through the entire process--and will have them returning again and again, finding new skills to master as they get older.
Review From Booklist Gr. 3-5. Here's a book that is as attractive as it is useful. Following introductory information about supplies, each spread, framed on bright-white pages, introduces a different technique, beginning with finger painting. Other methods include watercolors, scratch art, and sponge painting. A few lesser-known techniques are also introduced, such as using straws to blow paint around the pages and stenciling. Stylistically, this is exceptionally well organized. A boxed list of supplies appears on the left-hand pages along with simple, illustrated step-by-step instructions. The right-hand pages offer examples of artwork that are both handsome enough to inspire yet within the realm of a child's capabilities. Young artists will proceed on their own once they get the correct supplies, but this book will, perhaps, be of even more use to adults who work with children in schools, scout troops, and recreation centers. When demonstrated by an adult, many of the ideas can be used by children even younger than the target age group. Ilene Cooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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 I Love to Finger Paint!
Sometimes all it takes is a little hands-on playfulness to get children involved in art. So forget the brushes--this third entry in the My Very Favorite Art Book series puts its finger on what kids find fun. The colorful array of creative activities will have budding painters amazed at all the different ways they can use their fingers, hands, and even their feet to make both realistic and abstract pictures. It won't be long before proud youngsters produce galleries of blot masterpieces, dinosaurs, fingerprint people, animals, and crazy creatures. Plus, they'll learn some simple how-tos for mixing colors and making their own paints. And the text is kept to a minimum, so even pre-readers can follow along.
Review From Booklist Gr. 1-3. "Anyone can finger paint!" declares Lipsey, whose text relays the joy of being messy on purpose and making art at the same time. Third in the My Very Favorite Art Book series, this volume is just as attractive and well organized as its predecessors. Following an introductory double-page spread that lists supplies and reminds kids to keep paint where paint belongs, Lipsey describes a variety of painting techniques that can be used to create intriguing designs--finger- and hand-printing, patterning, scraping and scratching, texturing, even painting with feet and palms. Pictures in a rainbow of brilliant colors accompany the instructions, supplying children with examples to copy and inspiration to extend what they have learned to make more pictures. Excellent for teachers, and, with oversight from adults, for kids themselves. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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 I Love to Collage!
Sometimes art can seem intimidating to kids—but collage, with its layering of already-existing images and materials, feels like something they can master. With this exciting new entry in Lark’s My Very Favorite Art Book series, readers aged five and up will have a blast learning basic techniques and producing fabulous finished pieces. Young artists will get creative as they cut out facial features from magazines and rearrange them in whimsical portraits; weave strips of paper together to form interesting visual patterns; and design a cityscape from geometric shapes. They can even make personalized greeting cards for friends and family. Each finished project is showcased in a full-page photo or illustration—and because the text is kept to a minimum, even pre-readers can follow along.
Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 5–This creative book begins with a detailed list of possible collage materials, including newspaper, leaves, pasta, candy wrappers, and beads. It also includes a list of supplies such as markers and glue, and encourages the use of an anything goes mantra. Using colorful drawings and photographs, each of the 20 projects is detailed on a spread and includes step-by-step directions, a supply list, and helpful hints for continuing to create along the same theme. This is an excellent choice for school and public libraries, art curriculums, and, with adult assistance, preschoolers.–G. Alyssa Parkinson, Highland Township Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Like previous books in the My Favorite Art Book series, this one is right on target for its audience. Though young crafters may need an adult standing by as they work, children comfortable using scissors, paints, and glue will be able to negotiate many of Lipsey's projects on their own. Materials are readily available, and projects are diverse--from comical collages of cat pictures to cards for friends and loved ones. Supply lists and detailed instructions are clearly laid out, and pictures suggesting new ideas encourage kids to go further on their own: a collage sailboat takes its place in a beach scene. The photos are excellent and in full color, making this as attractive as it will be fun to use. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Children's Literature
More than twenty interesting collage projects using found objects and items lying in the bedrooms and playrooms of most young readers fill this colorful and well-laid-out book. Jennifer Lipsey has created a book that will make even the most uninspired or bored child into an artist. With project chapters entitled "Cool Cats," "Torn Animals," "Wacky Wire," "Sand and Sails," "Create A Face," and "Nature Art," among others, children can create colorful collages with minimal supplies. The "Torn Animals" project, for example, requires only colored papers and glue with markers optional. Children are encouraged to loosely tear a body, head, and legs from a piece of paper, arrange them on a sheet of paper, tear out eyes and spots, a tail, etc., arrange them, and then glue. The results are delightful. The book is easy to read, the graphic illustrations are clever and concise, and the page numbers are tabbed for ease in finding the project. This book is perfect for camp counselors, rainy days, long summer days, and art projects during the school year. In fact the "Garbage Art," "Recycle It," and "Nature Art" chapters could be incorporated into a lesson plan on recycling and earth science. This book is part of the "My Very Favorite Art Book" series.
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 I Love to Draw Cartoons!
Cartooning's a great form of art for young kids, because it's so unintimidating: there are no mistakes, only funny faces to create, cute creatures to make, and new ideas to explore. With the help of this newest entry in Lark's highly regarded art series, children can develop their own original cartoons and go as far as their imaginations will take them. There are plenty of practical tips, lots of hands-on activities to hone technique, and more than 60 original drawings for budding artists to work on. Beautifully designed pages with minimal text completely capture why cartoons are cool, and explain how to draw smiles and smirks, legs and other limbs, pesky pets, funny food, creepy crawlies, and even beloved dinosaurs.
Reviews
From Children's Literature
Jennifer Lipsey has once again created a book that will help any child become an accomplished artist. With project chapters entitled "Simple People," "Superheroes," "Circle Animals," and "Funny Folks," among others, children can create colorful and lively cartoons with few materials, and little assistance or supervision. The book begins with a chapter entitled "Drawing Cartoons is Fun!" and the action, color, and ease of four simple steps reinforces the title statement. The book is easy to read, the graphic illustrations are clever and concise, and the tabbed and colorful page numbers make it simple for readers to locate projects. This book is perfect for camp counselors, rainy days, long summer days, and language or art projects during the school year. In fact, educators could incorporate the "Letter Faces" chapter into a lesson plan about the alphabet or language development. "Desert Critters," "Pond Animals," and "Jungle Animals" should readily inspire ideas for science lesson plans. This book is part of the "My Very Favorite Art Book" series. 2007, Lark Books, $9.95. Ages 5 to 12.
Debra Lampert-Rudman
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 I Love to Draw Horses!
A new entry in the acclaimed series! These bright, beautifully designed pages explode with ideas and instructions to help kids draw what they love most: all kinds of different horses in action. The left page of each spread guides budding artists through the whole process of drawing a special horse, from mane to tail, while the right side presents the animal in a setting, so children are inspired to expand their horizons and create complete imaginative pictures. And because there's only minimal text, even pre-readers can follow along. With everything from a sweet mare and a cute colt to a strong stallion jumping, running, and rearing to tempt them, kids will eagerly pick this up and return to it again and again as they grow older.
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 I Love to Draw Dogs!
The newest entry in Jennifer Lipsey's acclaimed series proves that man's best friend can be a child's best artistic inspiration. Bright and beautifully designed, I Love to Draw Dogs is alive with colorful suggestions for young artists, plus instruction on how to draw their favorite pups.
As always, the left page of each spread takes kids step-by-step through the whole drawing process. They'll learn to create their own unique dogs, including puffy poodles, lively Labs, springing spaniels, and massive Malamutes. The right side places each animal in a setting, providing children with even more great ideas for their own pictures. Will their dog curl up in its special bed or sleep at its owner's feet, play fetch in a field of flowers or jump for joy chasing butterflies? The decision is the artist's alone! And with everything from tiny toy Chihuahuas to mischievous mutts to choose from, who can resist?
Because there's minimal text, even pre-readers will be able to follow along easily.
See sample pages.
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