Quirky, cute doodles

In this whimsical guide from the Doodle with Attitude series, Corfee walks hopeful artists and restless daydreamers through the basics. The opening spread, complete with vibrant splashes of watercolor, intricate flowers, and a bowl of cherries, sets the tone: be silly, weird, and one of a kind. Readers are introduced to a handful of essential doodle tools, from the more obscure pigment-ink and paint pens to everyday equipment: mechanical pencils, gel pens, and, naturally, the ballpoint. Each lively undertaking, whether it's a braided border, majestic unicorn, or Funky Fleur, is straightforward, open-ended, and typically completed in four steps. Though Corfee offers basic outlines and suggested patterns (the curvy swoosh, the knobby circle, scallops, stars), she ultimately encourages the reader's discretion with instructions like choose fun and energetic colors! After briefly broaching the topics of coloring sheets, embellished hand tracing, and lettering, the book concludes with some off the page suggestions. Embellished scarves, hats, and pebbles will have young readers scrambling for the nearest pens.--Shemroske, Briana Copyright 2016 Booklist

Gr 3-6-Challenging, design-focused coloring books have become increasingly popular. This series gives students tips and inspiration for making their own intricate designs. Each volume suggests six or seven exercises with plenty of projects that take doodles out of the margins and into the real world. There are phone and eyeglass cases to decorate, cards to make, and art to hang on the wall or shelf. Drawing borders and creating patterns, learning how to incorporate text or shapes, and shading techniques such as stippling and hatching are all covered. A low entry point encourages students who don't think of themselves as "artistic" to get creating. VERDICT A good source of at-the-drop-of-a-hat craft ideas, but nonessential at best. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.