How to Draw Planes, Trains and Boats: Step-by-Step Drawings! (Dover How to Draw) Paperback – Coloring Book, November 24, 2008

I am so happy with the purchase and so is my eight year old son. I remembered having "How to Draw" books when I was a kid and I really enjoyed them so I thought I would buy some for my son. First we check the library (needle in a haystack and long wait list) and we went to Books A Million to try and pick some up right away. Ugh. What I didn't like about that experience was that first of all, the majority of the books were very girl focused (princesses, fairies, ponies, dolls) and though I support my son wanting to use any of those books- he simply didn't. Secondly, the books we did find we either very simple not realistic type picture instructions or on the other end of the scale that it was pre-teen/adult stuff. Lastly, the price was pretty steep per book. We left with one book and very disappointed. So I decide to come online and see what I could find since he did have the one book to tie him over. I did a lot of searching and the Barbara Soloff collection seemed right on the money for what I was after. The books came the other day (one a rainy day no less :-) !!) and my son spent over an hour drawing until his little hand was cramped. They are high quality and afordable with the perfect level with room to grow. So very happy. The selection of books is so wide it was hard to only buy 3! My son has already started combining pictures from each book. My fridge has never looked more beautiful and inspiring :-) .

We love drawing books! I have left reviews for other drawing books that were very disappointing, but this one is WONDERFUL! It was a Christmas present for a 4yo who loves to draw, and while we have to consider the child is a bit advanced in drawing as he has been using how-to-draw books for almost a year now, he had no problems with this book, and the older children loved it, too! It is simple, straight forward, and the drawings are neither too simple nor too complex. All the drawings are easily enhanced by more advanced drawing students, yet simple enough for my 4yo to draw anything he wants in the book. This is how a good drawing book should be done--flexible for all levels!The book includes a wonderful variety of planes, train cars, and boats! I would say out of all our drawing books, this one has the best rating for content. We own many how-to-draw books, and this is one of the best ones written!

For each vehicle you are given 4 steps. Each step conjoins 2 or more shapes to eventually build the complete drawing. Dashed lines indicate lines to be erased after another shape is placed over it. A practice page is adjacent to the instruction page. However, the practice page has the next project on the other side. I would suggest a drawing pad for practice and tracing paper for more challenging shapes. I plan on sitting down with my grandson to do the first drawing, explain the dashes and have him use the tracing paper for practice on the challenging projects. This is an easy book for children who spend most of their time drawing. I would have given it 5 stars if it had a practice page which could be removed.

My organization is auctioning off a artists created Christmas Tree for a community Children's Mental Health benefit. There will be wrapped gifts for children underneath the tree art themed. We included this drawing book along with art supplies. When I received this book, I was able to read it and try some of the drawing tips. I am an artist and found that this book will be exciting and interesting for kids wanting to learn how to draw. The directions are clear and easy for a child to follow and learn from.

The 5-year-old I bought this for wasn't particularly excited to open it ("next year you can just get me Star Wars stuff") (the kid has more than enough Star Wars stuff and he likes to draw so I wanted to get him something creative!) ... but by the next day his mom said he loved the book so much he took it to school with him. Win! I paired this book with How to Draw: How to Draw (Dover How to Draw)

My 6 yr old son loves to draw, so I thought this would be perfect for him. However, he really likes to create his own thing, and not be given something to copy. This would be great for someone who wants to learn to draw and needs more direction.

These are not simple step-by-step directions. The book serves as more of a guide, showing what the sketches look like at various stages, including the finished product. My 5th grade students seem to be enjoying it, but it is probably not designed for kids who are not motivated to put some effort in, or who are too young or uncoordinated to put effort in. I do think it is a valuable product for the right audience.

Very cute. My 6 year old loves this. I would say it is right for her age. The book shows lots of different types of trains, planes, and boats and 3 or 4 steps to draw the final picture. You also get one practice page per drawing, but continual practice can easily be done on different blank sheets of paper. Great for Art class!