Full of creative expression, this book was created to draw (literally) attention to literary classics and their authors. Teachers, homeschool parents, and anyone with a love of reading will love this book. Why?
As a former homeschool teacher with children who love to read as much as I do, this book would have made reading even more enjoyable for them. Both of my children (now adults) loved to doodle.
As a former teacher at a private school here in Beattyville, I will say that I was shocked when I discovered that not all children loved reading as mine did. Most kids in the private school would have rather sat and stared at a blank wall than read. This book would have been a godsend and possibly have gotten them interested in reading something other than the schoolbooks they were required to read.
Who doesn’t love to doodle? Some people, like my husband, doodle without even thinking about what they are doing. When you doodle, you aren’t trying to create an art masterpiece. You are just putting on paper your own creative expressions.
What books are covered in Doodle Lit? All of the following authors loved to doodle and made it part of their writing. After each book are three examples of the many activities for each one.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Doodle a picture of Mr. Darcy’s dog, draw pictures of you and your friends, and customize buggies for the Bennetts.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare – Draw a hat for Romeo, design your own invitation to a masquerade ball, and make a coat of arms.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Decorate your own trunk and draw all the items you would place inside, design your own jewelry, and draw and label your own creative insects and butterflies
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll – Draw the things Alice finds down the rabbit hole, doodle some new hats for the Mad Hatter (who hasn’t wanted to design some new hats for him?), and write the life story of Frog Footman.
Dracula by Bram Stoker – Design coffin lids to reflect your inner vampire, design a new cape for Dracula, and doodle designs on tree trunks in Dracula’s forest.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville – Doodle what you would pack in your duffle bag before going on an ocean voyage, design your own tattoos, and design a flag to hang in your room.
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Learn how to draw a hound, design your own metal gates, and doodle some gargoyles.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Doodle tree scenes for the different seasons, design weather vanes, and doodle all the different thing you can make with apples.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – Draw a map of your world and the places you go, doodle all your possessions to see if they would fit on a raft, and design your own bandana.
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling – Design a seal for your family or club, draw your favorite kind of bear, and doodle the designs on various animals.
War and Peace and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – Design some earrings, some fancy boots, and a new hairdo.
Because of the books covered, I feel that this book would be great for school-aged children who are preparing to read these classics.
I have a question for all of the authors reading this review: how many of you doodle to help you with your writing? If you don’t, do you feel that doodling would help your creative mind come up with great ideas?
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy, I have provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon link: Doodle Lit: Drawing on the Classics
About the Authors:
Jennifer Adams is a writer and book editor. She is the author of more than two dozen books, including books in the Baby Lit series, which introduce children to the world of classic literature. She lives in Salt Lake City, and works on weekends at the King’s English Independent Bookstore. Her favorite classic novel is Pride and Prejudice.
Designer and illustrator Alison Oliver runs Sugar, a design studio. Her design portfolio reflects her love of drawing, pattern, and color. It includes everying from logos to packaging and product design. She also designs books for publishers such as Chronicle, Quirk Books, and Gibbs Smith, Publisher. Alison lives in New York City, and her favorite classic novel is Alice in Wonderland.
