Drawing Is ...: Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures
Standalone title Series
on Goodreads (8)
What’s inside...
Drawing Is … offers an energetic, illustrated tour through the many ways people can put pencil to paper. Part how-to manual, part art-history sampler, and part creativity workbook, Elizabeth Haidle invites readers to observe the world, invent fantastical scenes, share visual stories, and collaborate with friends. Short comic panels, artist spotlights, and open-ended prompts turn each chapter into an adventure in self-expression, helping 8- to 12-year-olds see that there is no single "right" way to draw.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
8-12
Length
72 pages
Text complexity
Character compass
Elizabeth Haidle (narrator)
Discussion points
Which prompt felt most challenging and why?
How did an artist spotlight change your view of drawing?
What new tool or technique would you like to try next?
Tip: Role play these questions
Keep a shared sketchbook to respond to prompts together.
Display finished drawings to validate effort, not perfection.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Everyone can draw
Explanation: Prompts remove judgment by valuing process over results.
Real-World Application: Children feel confident sketching notes or ideas in class.
Example Lesson: Mistakes are opportunities
Explanation: Exercises show how smudges become creative textures.
Real-World Application: Kids reframe errors in homework or sports as learning moments.
Example Lesson: Observation sharpens learning
Explanation: Detailed sketching trains careful looking.
Real-World Application: Improves focus when studying science diagrams or maps.
Example Lesson: Collaboration enriches ideas
Explanation: Group drawing games model respectful teamwork.
Real-World Application: Prepares children for cooperative classroom projects.