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Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too
The definitive guide to encouraging drawing and creativity, for parents and teachers alike
Mona Brookes's clear and practical approach to drawing has yielded astounding results with children of all ages and beginning adults. Her unique drawing program has created a revolution in the field of education and a sense of delight and pride among the thousands of students who have learned to draw through her "Monart Method."
This revised and expanded edition
• Information on multiple intelligence and the seven ways to learn
• An inspirational chapter on helping children with learning differences
• An integrated-studies chapter with projects geared for reading, math, science, ESL, multicultural studies, and environmental awareness
• A sixteen-page color insert and hundreds of sample illustrations
This invaluable teaching tool not only guides readers through the basics, but also gives important advice on creating a nurturing environment in which self-expression and creativity can flourish. Both practical and enlightening, Drawing With Children inspires educators and parents to bring out the artist in each of us.
Mona Brookes's clear and practical approach to drawing has yielded astounding results with children of all ages and beginning adults. Her unique drawing program has created a revolution in the field of education and a sense of delight and pride among the thousands of students who have learned to draw through her "Monart Method."
This revised and expanded edition
• Information on multiple intelligence and the seven ways to learn
• An inspirational chapter on helping children with learning differences
• An integrated-studies chapter with projects geared for reading, math, science, ESL, multicultural studies, and environmental awareness
• A sixteen-page color insert and hundreds of sample illustrations
This invaluable teaching tool not only guides readers through the basics, but also gives important advice on creating a nurturing environment in which self-expression and creativity can flourish. Both practical and enlightening, Drawing With Children inspires educators and parents to bring out the artist in each of us.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
128 people are currently reading
785 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 14, 2021
Whenever I had an art or science class with students (as young as 6-years) where drawing was necessary, I used the ideas from this book. Although we would all follow the steps required using the 5 "families" of shape and line, each child had their own unique version of the subject. What's more important, these children were very pleased with their results!
I highly recommend this resource for teaching drawing for all ages!
I highly recommend this resource for teaching drawing for all ages!
November 26, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book and working through the lessons. I have worked through most of it before but this was my first time finishing it. I really like the encouraging and practical tone that the author takes about art. She really makes it approachable for anyone. I worked through the lessons using procreate on my iPad which was fun and lends a different element to things. She has some good tips in the end about how to work more art into the main curriculum of a classroom.
March 31, 2018
Last year when a friend came to visit she showed me her travel/food journal and I was so impressed with the beautiful and personal sketches she had drawn on each page. More than anything, I’d like to have a journal like hers, but I’ve always been a terrible artist. The premise of this book is that with the right instruction anyone can learn to draw. We take piano lessons to learn piano, dance lesson to learn to dance, and the author argues we should be teaching everyone how to draw, especially from a young age. The alphabet of shape that she introduces completely blew my mind and makes drawing feel more manageable. Interestingly, she also cites studies that show that drawing what you’re learning about, especially in science, can deeper and improve your understanding of the concepts. There are five long lessons that can be taught to anyone four years old or older. I’ll update my rating after a few months of working on the book with Scott and seeing how helpful the lessons really are.
July 17, 2019
You can find a detailed review of the book here.
A couple things to say quickly:
It is a rough guide, an overview, with the key ideas and problem solving suggestions. It is not a detailed lesson plan, so there's still a lot of work for you to do after reading.
Having said that, it appears to be outstanding. I'll be teaching this course next semester, and if it works the way Brookes says it does this book gets five stars, no question.
Lastly, there's a chapter at the back on teaching special needs kids, with a series of problems you might face and how to solve them. This comes out of Brookes many years experience in this area, and on the face of it this looks really, really useful if you're involved in art therapy or teaching art to at risk children.
A couple things to say quickly:
It is a rough guide, an overview, with the key ideas and problem solving suggestions. It is not a detailed lesson plan, so there's still a lot of work for you to do after reading.
Having said that, it appears to be outstanding. I'll be teaching this course next semester, and if it works the way Brookes says it does this book gets five stars, no question.
Lastly, there's a chapter at the back on teaching special needs kids, with a series of problems you might face and how to solve them. This comes out of Brookes many years experience in this area, and on the face of it this looks really, really useful if you're involved in art therapy or teaching art to at risk children.
December 22, 2009
For what this book is, it is the best. (I had a hard time rating it as a 5, simply because it wasn't necessarily a gripping page-turner.) But it was a fabulous how-to book, & another one that has me so excited for homeschooling! When I found out that my sister had successfully used it (in homeschooling) with her children, it sealed the deal for me. Might I add that her children have won state-level honors in art year after year, & her oldest even won the National Reflections Contest. (She won the grand prize across the country!) I believe everything Brookes says in this book about art & children. Can't wait to start!
January 28, 2017
Used parts of this book a lot with art classes I've taught.
November 9, 2025
At this point, I’ve read the book but not went through and applied it to my kids. But I loved the general guidelines given for how to learn to draw and how to have a healthy mindset around one’s artwork.
August 20, 2025
I draw and paint as a hobby. I thought this book was helpful with improving my skills.
August 4, 2025
Took quite a bit longer than expected, but finally finished this! Lots of gret ideas in here and a solid art education philosophy text.
August 30, 2015
My personal rating system is as follows. 3 stars means I liked the book but probably wouldn't read it again. 4 stars means I liked the book and will probably read it again. It was difficult to rate this book 4 stars... maybe because after the first read-through, it's going to be "read again" as a research book, as needed and only the parts needed (not cover-to-cover).
This isn't your typical drawing book where you follow step-by-step instructions on how to create a picture identical to the one in the book. It's for any person interested in starting to draw no matter the age. It covers creating the environment for a good drawing experience... eliminating noise pollution in the room or area, relaxing the eyes and shoulders, etc. It also goes into depth on which words to apply when working with people while they're drawing in order to support improvement and yet avoid unnecessary negativity.
The lessons are embedded in the text. I would almost say a read-through, cover-to-cover is required before you actually start to do the lessons. In this way, the writer did a great job explaining the motive for drawing and redefined a successful experience. It's less about what the finished product looks like and more about techniques used to get there. The writer shows many examples from children of multiple ages as well as adults who have a broad range of "abilities". You can see how one still life model can lead to many different interpretations... with none of them being "wrong".
Final sections in the book covered topics of working with people who have special needs as well as using art to teach multiple other educational subjects... yes even math. I just finished reading the book and plan on going back to the beginning to work on the lessons... both for myself and my children.
This isn't your typical drawing book where you follow step-by-step instructions on how to create a picture identical to the one in the book. It's for any person interested in starting to draw no matter the age. It covers creating the environment for a good drawing experience... eliminating noise pollution in the room or area, relaxing the eyes and shoulders, etc. It also goes into depth on which words to apply when working with people while they're drawing in order to support improvement and yet avoid unnecessary negativity.
The lessons are embedded in the text. I would almost say a read-through, cover-to-cover is required before you actually start to do the lessons. In this way, the writer did a great job explaining the motive for drawing and redefined a successful experience. It's less about what the finished product looks like and more about techniques used to get there. The writer shows many examples from children of multiple ages as well as adults who have a broad range of "abilities". You can see how one still life model can lead to many different interpretations... with none of them being "wrong".
Final sections in the book covered topics of working with people who have special needs as well as using art to teach multiple other educational subjects... yes even math. I just finished reading the book and plan on going back to the beginning to work on the lessons... both for myself and my children.
January 8, 2015
I have one child that will happily draw and paint all day, and another that is paralyzed by a blank page and often frustrated with what ends up there. So, while I think this book, and its exercises, are dry and dull as dust- I can see their use. No, it will not transform you into an amazing artist- but it will give you an understanding of where to start, and some kids need that kind of explicit direction. I do wish it had a better outline of lesson plans, what exactly to do next. But a second reading with notepaper on hand (and a copier for the excersizes, there needs to be a workbook) was enough to outline a lesson sequence through the book.
August 7, 2010
I wasn't able to finish with the book before returning it. However, what I was able to experiment with was really excellent. My six year old daughter and I worked with several of the beginning exercises and we really enjoyed ourselves. The instructions for the lessons were pretty easy to follow and we saw some immediate results.
This book is written for educators and parents. As a parent I just skimmed through sections that were really geared more toward educators. I would love to see a more concise version for use with parents and children and home educators.
This book is written for educators and parents. As a parent I just skimmed through sections that were really geared more toward educators. I would love to see a more concise version for use with parents and children and home educators.
February 25, 2009
I really like this book, and ended up buying it. I have dropped our art curriculum and will be using the lessons in this book to teach my kids the fundamentals of drawing. It just makes sense how it is taught. Along side this book, we will be studying famous artists of all kinds, painters, sculptors, architects, etc.
August 12, 2011
A perfect book for teaching an adult how to teach a child to draw. Absolutely awesome.
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May 25, 2023I read this on the tail of reading Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. While Right Side had some interesting tips and tricks for learning to see the world in a way that makes drawing easier, it's still pretty intimidating and encourages one style of drawing (I reviewed that book earlier this year and you could go read my thoughts on it if you like). This book was much more approachable and allowed for more interesting and more immediate results that will please the person drawing. The set ups are also way less complicated and require very few supplies or special tools, a flat surface, objects from around the house, markers, and printer paper. And the lessons essentially have infinite ways of extending themselves so you can keep going at a level until you are satisfied with your progress (or your student's progress). Plus this works for kids as young as three and four.
In terms of how the book frames drawing (no pun intended), it's a lot better than Right Side. First Brookes notes that art is totally subjective and so long as you are happy with your drawing, then it's good drawing. Part of accepting your own style, and something she continually addresses, is that you must let go of comparison. That was extremely refreshing. Easier said than done, but she is very encouraging and offers lots of real examples of art that is both beautiful, but not hyper realistic.
This is also something I liked about her take on drawing that was different from Right Side. Brookes advocates for drawing how you draw and that art doesn't actually have to be an accurate representation of what you see. Part of why we want that accuracy are expectations put on us by other drawing programs or looking at certain types of art and artists. While hyper realistic is a style you could master, she gently nudges learners to think about whether or not that is something they truly want to strive for. Certainly she has examples of people who have done her art program that really have mastered very realistic drawing styles, but she has plenty of other examples that are equally beautiful and wonderful and aesthetically pleasing that aren't.
She is also big on leave in "mistakes" because you can work with them and honestly they aren't mistakes, just bits you aren't satisfied with. If you look at them as just a part of your drawing they are easier to think about as something to work with rather than comparing them to some "correct" way the drawing should have turned out.
Finally she discusses how children do stick drawings and representational drawings that rely more on culturally accepted symbols of objects (think lollypop trees in children's drawing) and that is totally normal and can exists alongside this more technically skilled drawing. She talks about how that type of stick drawing is actually really important and not something you want to discourage. This program to teach children (or you) to draw isn't going to supplant that type of drawing and you should not encourage it to. That kind of drawing will eventually stop and the student can continue to draw falling back on the drawing skills introduced in the book.
I suppose if there was one thing that might have been helpful it would be the developmental stages that children's representational drawing goes through. But it's not necessary to using the method to teach drawing to children (or yourself).
In terms of how the book frames drawing (no pun intended), it's a lot better than Right Side. First Brookes notes that art is totally subjective and so long as you are happy with your drawing, then it's good drawing. Part of accepting your own style, and something she continually addresses, is that you must let go of comparison. That was extremely refreshing. Easier said than done, but she is very encouraging and offers lots of real examples of art that is both beautiful, but not hyper realistic.
This is also something I liked about her take on drawing that was different from Right Side. Brookes advocates for drawing how you draw and that art doesn't actually have to be an accurate representation of what you see. Part of why we want that accuracy are expectations put on us by other drawing programs or looking at certain types of art and artists. While hyper realistic is a style you could master, she gently nudges learners to think about whether or not that is something they truly want to strive for. Certainly she has examples of people who have done her art program that really have mastered very realistic drawing styles, but she has plenty of other examples that are equally beautiful and wonderful and aesthetically pleasing that aren't.
She is also big on leave in "mistakes" because you can work with them and honestly they aren't mistakes, just bits you aren't satisfied with. If you look at them as just a part of your drawing they are easier to think about as something to work with rather than comparing them to some "correct" way the drawing should have turned out.
Finally she discusses how children do stick drawings and representational drawings that rely more on culturally accepted symbols of objects (think lollypop trees in children's drawing) and that is totally normal and can exists alongside this more technically skilled drawing. She talks about how that type of stick drawing is actually really important and not something you want to discourage. This program to teach children (or you) to draw isn't going to supplant that type of drawing and you should not encourage it to. That kind of drawing will eventually stop and the student can continue to draw falling back on the drawing skills introduced in the book.
I suppose if there was one thing that might have been helpful it would be the developmental stages that children's representational drawing goes through. But it's not necessary to using the method to teach drawing to children (or yourself).
April 23, 2024
A good book for anyone who wants to learn how to teach children to draw. Showing children how to notice, offering encouragement, and directions of how to complete drawings are all main topics. I believe it adequately approaches the topic to all ages of children, even teens. There is a lot of helpful information about specific challenges and circumstances too.
I have used several of her instructions with my kids but unfortunately fizzled out using the book with them this year. It is definitely not open-and-go lesson plans and contains a lot of things that I have found hard to keep in mind during designated art time. It was a slow read for me, picked up periodically, and contains a plethora of great information. It felt like taking a course on how to teach art. Helpful! But now I still need to figure out the lessons to present. I'm hoping that a lot of what I have been reading in this will just somehow translate into the interactions I have with the kids.
Also, another note, I believe this fits really well with Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. The techniques and ways to notice are similar in nature.
I have used several of her instructions with my kids but unfortunately fizzled out using the book with them this year. It is definitely not open-and-go lesson plans and contains a lot of things that I have found hard to keep in mind during designated art time. It was a slow read for me, picked up periodically, and contains a plethora of great information. It felt like taking a course on how to teach art. Helpful! But now I still need to figure out the lessons to present. I'm hoping that a lot of what I have been reading in this will just somehow translate into the interactions I have with the kids.
Also, another note, I believe this fits really well with Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. The techniques and ways to notice are similar in nature.
April 8, 2020
Excellent fundamentals for drawing for beginners such as myself who lack confidence. While the book is entitled Drawing with Children. I am an adult and I derived a great deal of benefit from the instruction on these pages. This book was recommended on an on-line drawing course with Sketchbook Skool. It is excellent and has provided much inspiration for me to be more creative and to try to improve my drawing and painting. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who might be interested in learning about art and learning to draw. Fantastic.
May 31, 2018
Very helpful, practical introduction to the basics of drawing. I'm teaching my children from this, and loving it. At first, I thought that there were too few lessons in the book, but I'm beginning to think that it was a wise step for the author to keep things simple. There are so many possibilities to explore.
April 26, 2019
Straight forward explanation of teaching children to draw. I actually found the appendices about art education for students with learning disabilities absolutely fascinating. (Using drawing to teach MATH for kids diagnosed with dysgraphia? Who knew!) I ordered a bunch of markers and am excited to learn this along with my kids but we’ve yet to see how it actually works out for us in real life.
July 14, 2021
Notes to self for when I forget why I liked/didn't like this book: good tips and warm up exercises for class, but I'm not so sold on her insistence to begin a drawing with tiny details rather than the larger overall structure since that could easily lead to proportion issues. Overall, it's a good resource and I'm glad I read it.
May 15, 2025
Incredibly helpful resource on teaching kids how to draw. The progression makes a lot of sense and the author draws advice (no pun intended) from decades of experience as an art teacher. A good complement to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which was a game-changer for my drawing skills in high school.
June 23, 2017
Great directions, step by step, to approach teaching children to draw.
August 14, 2018
Excellent. Good resource for homeschooling.
November 2, 2018
S1V1L1
November 14, 2019
We enjoyed this for multiple ages and abilities .
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April 9, 2020Thorough.
September 20, 2020
I am teaching myself to draw. This book is a great help learning some basics.
October 15, 2023
I haven’t actually started with the methods, but reading it gave me a good idea of what we can do to improve our drawing.
July 30, 2024
Loved this. Perfect for anyone, especially those who say "I can't draw". Super readable, practical, and encouraging. Excited to keep working through the fun exercises with the kiddos.
March 17, 2025
Comparable to Betty Edwards drawing books, I love Mona Brookes. She has samples, practical tips, easy exercises and loads of info for artists young and old.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews