A good classroom drawing library has three kinds of books: tracing books for kindergarten and first grade, step-by-step drawing books for every grade, and grid drawing books for grades 2 to 5. Pick themes kids love (animals, monsters, robots, dinosaurs), and you’ll have books that get used every day for early finishers, indoor recess, art centers and choice time.
The three kinds of drawing book
Tracing books (K to 1)
Kids trace a dotted outline, then color. Builds fine motor control and confidence. See Trace Then Color.
Step-by-step books (K to 5)
Each character is built in a few steps. Kevin’s How to Draw books show the whole finished drawing as a light gray outline on every step, so kids can work independently.
Grid books (grades 2 to 5, some K to 1)
Kids copy a picture one square at a time. Builds observation, focus and math skills. See Draw by Grid.
A starter shelf by grade
- Kindergarten: 2 tracing books, 1 simple step-by-step book (baby animals, cute animals).
- Grades 1 to 2: 1 tracing, 2 step-by-step (monsters, pets), 1 simple grid book.
- Grades 3 to 5: 2 step-by-step (robots, aliens, dinosaurs), 2 grid books (cool stuff, weird creatures).
How teachers use them
- Early finishers. Independent and quiet. See early finisher activities.
- Indoor recess. See indoor recess activities.
- Art centers. See art center ideas.
- Directed drawing lessons. Project a page. See directed drawing.
- Draw and write. Draw a character, then write about it. See draw then write prompts.
- Math. Grid drawing teaches coordinates and scale. See grid drawing and math.
Tips for a classroom shelf
- Use page protectors or a copy for drawing on. Keep the books themselves clean, and have students draw on separate paper.
- Rotate themes. Swap a book each month.
- Let students vote. They’ll tell you what they want.
- Include holiday books. Halloween and Christmas books get heavy use in season.
Free pages to try first
Before buying, print a few free pages of each type and see what your class enjoys. More teacher tools are in the teacher resources. We’ve also written about educational art books for the classroom.
The book that helps
A starter shelf: one tracing book for the youngest, one step-by-step book and one grid book. Add themes your class loves.
Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon Animals
How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Monsters
Draw by Grid: Cartoon RobotsAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
What drawing books are good for a classroom?
A mix of tracing books for K to 1, step-by-step books for every grade and grid books for grades 2 to 5, in themes kids love.
How many drawing books does a classroom need?
Three to six is a great start. Rotate themes through the year.
How do teachers use drawing books?
For early finishers, indoor recess, art centers, directed drawing lessons, draw-and-write and math.