Parents' Guide to

Amelia's Easy-as-Pie Drawing Guide

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Amelia gives tips on how to draw doodles.

Book Marissa Moss Activity 2000
Amelia's Easy-as-Pie Drawing Guide Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Amelia gives some tips on how to draw little doodles like those that appear in her books. She begins with ways to turn basic shapes and squiggles into pictures, and a brief discussion of how to use lines.

Following this are step-by-step instructions for drawing some simple objects, such as a sandwich, a cake, and a party hat. She then encourages readers to create their own step-by-step drawings, and to see drawing as a sum of parts, rather than try to tackle the intimidating whole. After showing how to draw a cat and a dog, she shows how to adapt those techniques to a variety of other animals.

The next large section covers aspects of drawing people, including lots of details of drawing faces and hands. She finishes off with introductions to shadows and perspective.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3):

This spiral-bound book, more a guide to creative doodling than a drawing book, is made to be drawn in, and provides space and encouragement for readers to add their creations. It's sure to be a hit with Amelia fans, especially those who have been inspired to try creating their own illustrated journals. Though the book appears fairly rudimentary, real beginners may find it frustrating.

The step-by-step instruction section doesn't start until well into the book, and earlier sections assume a level of drawing ability that not all readers possess. The examples are quite small, making details hard to see. The step-by-step section is better, as is the section on drawing faces, but later sections again assume too much knowledge and ability, making them best for confident young artists.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about drawing. Do you like to try to copy pictures or come up with your own? Look at picture books and talk about the different styles. Try bringing a sketch pad and crayons or pencils to a museum or art gallery.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate