Growing Reader
Tween
Teen
Dare to Doodle: 10 Unconventional Drawing Books for Kids
by Denise Schipani
My father, who filled sketchbooks with WWII planes and ships as a child and is now a watercolorist, tried his darnedest to teach me things like perspective and shading … but I just didn’t get it. If there’s an art gene, it skipped over me and landed hard on my younger son, who compulsively doodles — stick figures with personality, robots, monsters — on just about every piece of paper he finds, from math homework to store receipts.
Maybe it’s the graphic novels he’s partial to (chiefly the Wimpy Kid books) or his discovery a few years back of Calvin & Hobbes, but he’s decided he’ll be a cartoonist and has begun filling his own notebooks with cartoon creations. So naturally, I’m eagle-eyed when it comes to searching out books about drawing. What I’ve been looking for lately, though, are less conventional drawing books and more books that inspire kids to draw without rules or steps (or only a few rules!).
Here, a handful I’ve found that straddle the line between drawing books and books about how to draw:
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Random Acts of Drawness!
Also available from:When Brady Smith and his family found themselves quarantined at home in the spring of 2020, the artist decided to release some creative energy by launching a series of live, daily Instagram drawing challenges. Over 100 days, Brady asked viewers for suggestions of something wacky and random to draw in 30 seconds. The show was an instant hit and inspired Brady to create Random Acts of Drawness!, an activity book that would allow kids to make their own silly, random creations at home. Filled with wacky and weird drawing prompts, this book is unbridled creativity at its best.
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Doodle Days
Also available from:Kids that love keeping a sketchbook or journal will adore this fun doodle book. Inside, you’ll find more than 100 ideas, creative prompts, and instructions that teach kids how to draw their favorite things. They’ll be filling up their journal with adorable doodles in no time!
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Let's Make Comics!
Also available from:Any child that obsesses over Captain Underpants and Dog Man will want to try their hand at making comics, and this book shows them how. From developing characters to planning out your panels, kids will learn what it takes to create this popular art form.
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Mightier Than the Sword
Also available from:Prepare to save Astorya from the evil Queen Rulette in this wildly fun and interactive adventure book. In this entirely fictional world, the reader is pulled into the action and able to shape the story. Filled with Mad Lib-style activities, wacky mazes, word scrambles, and drawings to complete, young artists will want to keep their pencils sharp as they write, draw, and scribble their way to the end of the story.
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Draw Your Day for Kids!
Also available from:Encourage your child to draw every day with this fun and colorful book from Instagram artist Samantha Dion Baker. Drawing is relaxing and fun, and doing it daily can help you improve quickly. Kids will love tracking their progress as they fill the pages of this keepsake drawing journal.
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Toca Life Doodle Book (Toca Boca)
Available from:This adorable and hilarious drawing book is a must-have for fans of the Toca Life games and television series! The best part about this book is that there are no rules to follow. You can decide to be as wacky or silly in your drawings as you want. It even includes reusable stickers and a double-sided poster.
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The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw
Also available from:Young artists might know Mark Crilley from his popular YouTube channel featuring how-to-draw videos. In The Drawing Lesson, Crilley presents readers with the story of a boy named David and his drawing teacher, Becky, in the form of a graphic novel. As David gets his lessons (in many aspects of drawing, including that pesky shading and perspective my patient father tried to teach me), so does the reader, who also gets accompanying lessons to try in a sketchbook of his or her own.
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Draw AlphaToons
Also available from:Turn letters and numbers into animals, creatures, and crazy cartoons with this unique drawing book. It’s perfect for young artists who want some fun and easy drawing activities that they can do with just a piece of paper and a pencil. If your child likes this book, make sure to check out the companion book, Draw AlphaBeasts.
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Jumbo Pad of Things to Imagine, Doodle, and Draw
Available from:When it comes to unconventional activity books, Highlights always has a few good options. This one is perfect for kids that love drawing and doodling. It’s jam-packed with over 250 pages of activities, prompts, and puzzles for kids to finish.
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Invitation to Draw
Also available from:This unique drawing book doesn’t have any step-by-step instructions. Instead, you’ll find dozens of drawing prompts — doodles that the author started and that your child must complete. So whether they’re designing a robot or adding their favorite fruit to a tree, kids will have a fantastic time thinking up fun and silly solutions to these half-finished drawings.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2021.