8 Drawing Books Your Kids Will Love | Curated Author Picks | Fun All-Ages Art Activity Books

by | Apr 30, 2025 | How to Draw Books for Kids

Drawing Books Your Kids Will Love: A Closer Look at Our Four Fun Drawing Styles

If you’re looking for drawing books your kids will love, you’ve come to the right place. With a wide range of creative titles and drawing methods designed for young artists of all skill levels, my books offer a fun and approachable way for kids to practice drawing, improve their fine motor skills, and stretch their imaginations. Whether your child prefers step-by-step instructions, simple tracing, grid-based guidance, or imaginative drawing challenges, there’s a book style in my collection that will meet them right where they are creatively.

In this post, I’m going to give you a closer look at the four main drawing book styles I offer: “How to Draw,” “Trace Then Color,” “Draw by Grid,” and the “Shape Drawing Challenge.” These are not just drawing books your kids will love—they’re books designed to meet them where their interests and abilities are, and help them build skills while having fun.


1. The “How to Draw” Series

This series is built around the classic step-by-step method. Each page guides kids through a simple sequence of shapes and lines that lead to a finished cartoon character or object. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, designed to boost confidence and make kids feel proud of what they’ve drawn. These books are ideal for children who are eager to learn how to construct their drawings from scratch.

I created the “How to Draw” books with simplicity and fun in mind. Each lesson builds on the last, and every drawing is broken down into manageable steps that make the process approachable. It’s a great way to help kids build strong drawing habits and understand the basics of shape, form, and proportion. For children who enjoy starting with a blank page and following a guide, these are drawing books your kids will love.

View “How to Draw” Activity Books


2. The “Trace Then Color” Series

The “Trace Then Color” series was made for younger kids, or for those who enjoy a more relaxed and confidence-building experience. Each page features bold-line characters meant to be traced and then colored in. Tracing helps with muscle memory, control, and understanding the shape and structure of characters. It’s especially great for kids who may not be ready to freehand draw on their own just yet.

Tracing provides that perfect balance of creativity and support, allowing kids to feel like successful artists from the very first page. And because each character is unique and imaginative, the books keep kids engaged from start to finish. These are truly drawing books your kids will love if they enjoy tracing, coloring, or just want a calm creative activity.

View “Trace Then Color” Activity Books


3. The “Draw by Grid” Series

For kids who like puzzles or solving things one piece at a time, the “Draw by Grid” series is a great fit. These books use a classic drawing technique where kids replicate an image one square at a time. The grid system makes it easier to focus on detail and proportion, helping young artists slow down and really study what they’re drawing.

Draw by Grid” is also a great way to help improve patience, focus, and spatial awareness. It turns drawing into a fun and engaging activity where kids can surprise themselves with how accurate and expressive their art becomes, even if they’ve never drawn before. It’s another excellent option if you’re searching for drawing books your kids will love, especially those who enjoy structure and logic in their creative play.

View “Draw by Grid” Activity Books


4. The “Shape Drawing Challenge” Series

This style is all about creativity and imagination. In the “Shape Drawing Challenge” books, kids start with a random shape and turn it into something entirely new. It might become a monster, an animal, a spaceship, or something completely unexpected. These challenges encourage kids to think outside the box, problem-solve, and explore their own creative instincts.

Each prompt gives just enough to get the imagination going without telling the child what the final drawing should be. This open-ended style is perfect for children who love inventing things, telling stories, or simply experimenting. It’s a less structured but highly creative approach that often leads to the most original and personal artwork.

These are drawing books your kids will love if they enjoy imagination-based play, character design, or making art from abstract ideas.

View The “Shape Drawing Challenge” Book


Why These Books Work

What all of these styles have in common is that they are designed to make drawing fun, attainable, and rewarding for kids. They’re not just educational tools—they’re invitations to play. With kid-friendly themes, silly and imaginative characters, and a variety of drawing methods to explore, every book is meant to inspire creativity, not stress perfection.

It’s important to me that each child feels successful, no matter their skill level. Whether your child wants to learn how to draw from scratch, prefers tracing and coloring, likes copying with a grid, or enjoys being prompted to invent their own characters from shapes, you’ll find drawing books your kids will love in every format.


Author Picks

Here are eight of my personal favorites that I think your kids will really enjoy. Each one represents the strengths of one of the book styles mentioned above:

  1. Trace Then Color: Mermaids, Unicorns, and Other Cute Stuff
  2. Shape Drawing Challenge
  3. Draw by Grid: Unicorn Animals
  4. How to Draw: Grumpy Faces
  5. Draw by Grid: Mutant Animals
  6. Trace Then Color: Baby Animals
  7. How to Draw: Crusty Goobers 2
  8. Trace Then Color: Robot Dinosaurs

Final Thoughts

When you’re choosing drawing books for your kids, you want something that’s not only fun but also developmentally helpful. My goal with every book is to blend skill-building with creativity, so kids can grow as artists while still enjoying the process. These books are more than just pages to fill—they’re springboards for imagination, learning, and artistic confidence.

No matter your child’s age or drawing ability, there’s something here for them. With four styles to choose from and a wide range of themes, you can explore different methods and see which ones your child connects with the most. You may even find that your child enjoys trying all four styles over time.

So if you’re searching for drawing books your kids will love, you’re in the right place. Thanks for checking out the series, and happy drawing!

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Meet The Author & Artist

Kevin Coulston is an accomplished cartoonist, animator, and writer. He is the author and illustrator of over 70 (and still counting) children’s drawing books available here on FirstArtBooks.com. Kevin has also authored numerous kid-friendly comic book series, including “Dylan McVillain: A Super Villain with the Best Intentions” and “The Adventures of a 4th Grade Space Captain,” along with the Children’s Picture Book series “Alexis and the T-Rexes.”

Over a decade and a half since his initial published work, Kevin is now dedicating himself to inspiring the next generation of illustrators with his “How To Draw,” “Trace Then Color,” and “Draw by Grid” series of art books.

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What Our Customers Are Saying

“The author really does a great job demonstrating how easy (and rewarding!) it can be to draw seemingly ordinary things you (and your little ones!) may feel too intimidated to try drawing without the step-by-step guide! Putting already-known shapes together and making something new and original is a fantastic way to learn! And recognizing that you can add your own twists and personality to your drawings makes all the difference. I think it’s a fun, original approach to building confidence for a lifelong hobby. I have the ebook copy, and can only imagine how great a physical copy would be!”

– Daenarah [Amazon Review]

“There are several of these fun books by this author. My kids and I have had a lot of fun with these. It’s a great activity to do as a family and see how they all turn out. Almost like a sip and paint but more of a juice box and draw.”

Allison B. [Amazon Review]

My kids can’t wait to start drawing these monsters in their illustrations! The many different moods of the monsters appeal to their different personalities. We love the many options, styles, and opportunities to expand upon the characters. Recommended for all ages!

– Kasey [Amazon Review]

“Kevin has put out many books on drawing and animation, and has such a great feel for HOW to explain the process. His art is so expressive and kid-friendly, but his real strength is in his ability to really explain and show how it’s done, making it accessible to kids and adults. I’m a firm believer that not everyone who “can do” can teach, but Kevin does both beautifully! Pick this up and watch kids have a blast making robots of all sorts, while learning great fundamental art skills at the same time!”

Tom R. [Amazon Review]

“My 5yo LOVES this book! The drawings are cute and the instructions are easy to follow along with. She gets a kick out of drawing muffin monsters and ketchup monsters and it actually keeps her pretty focused for long periods of time.”

– Monica [Amazon Review]

“This is a fantastic book for kids who love art, cartoons, comic books, or just having fun! There are a lot of characters to choose from, and really easy step-by-step instructions to follow. You child will have a blast drawing these fun, silly characters! And just in time for Easter baskets!”

– Bestmomever [Amazon Review]

“This is a very good book for kids that want to learn to draw, my sons love it and Kevin does a great job of making drawing fun and not intimidating. Highly recommended for the long summer hours!”

David D. [Amazon Review]

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