How to Draw Books for Kids Ages 3-8

It can be difficult to find how to draw books for kids that are perfect for the very youngest child. I was on the lookout for ones that were actually a beginner book. Over the years I have found the perfect ones and I list them here in this post. So keep reading if you are needing step by step drawing books for your beginning little artist.

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My oldest child has always been a little artist.  From the time she was old enough to hold a crayon, her favorite thing was doing any kind of art project, coloring, or painting.  To this day in her free time, she spends hours making pictures and creating her own art. 

When she was about 3, she would ask things like, “Mommy, can you show me how to draw a turtle?” Unfortunately I don’t seem to have a drawing bone in my body.  But because I wanted to help her, I would do my best.  At the end of my drawing it, she would say, “That doesn’t look like a turtle.”  Nope.  Sure doesn’t.  Unless it was supposed to portray a poor fellow who met his match trying to cross the road.  RIP.

On the Search for How to Draw Books for Kids

Ok, so I obviously needed help.  She had a passion for art and I wanted to continue to fuel that fire. I just wasn’t going to be able to teach her myself how to do it.  So I thought of the idea of getting her “how to draw books for kids” and her learning from those.  This proved to be slightly more difficult than I thought. I was looking for books that were appropriate for a kid as young as 3 or 4.  A lot of the ones that I looked at were too advanced for her age.  

It has really taken years to slowly collect a nice collection of how to draw books that perfectly fit her age range.  Buying one here, buying one there.  And now we have a nice big stack of them in our homeschool room. They are ready for her to grab whenever she has an artistic itch.  She really has become quite good at drawing from these.  She has far surpassed my drawing ability (although we have all learned from today that that wasn’t a very hard thing to do).  

But seriously, I am so pleased with the books that I have gotten for her. I wanted to share some of them with you in case you were on the lookout for how to draw books for kids that are VERY beginner.  They are also all step by step and are perfect for that young age.  So without further ado, here they are.

You Can Draw by Kasia Dudziuk

This is the newest one that we have collected of the bunch and I was really pleased to find it.  I recently found it at a used book sale.  It is 207 pages so is big and has lots of different things to draw.  The categories include Wild animals, Under the Sea, Creepy Crawlies, Things that Go, Pets, Dinosaurs, On the Farm, Story Land and Christmas.  Each animal or object is drawn in four steps. It gives you space at the bottom of the page for the child to draw in the books itself.

My First I Can Draw by Make Believe Ideas Ltd.

I believe this is the first drawing book that I ever got her.  Once again, I found it at either a thrift store or used book sale.  It is only slightly smaller in size than the above drawing book, probably around the 150-200 page size (there are no page numbers).  The tops include Creepy Crawlies, Wild animals, Farmyard friends, Cuddly creatures, Sea Life and Things that Go.  Everything can be drawn in 4-5 simple steps.  There is space on each page for drawing the object. It even has a bunch of blank sheets in the back of the books for the kid to practice what they’ve learned!

Usborne Playtime I Can Draw Animals

At 32 pages, this is a small one, but perfect if your child is specifically looking for how to draw animals.  It is not a book that is intended to be drawn in; therefore, it doesn’t have any room for drawing.  Each drawing is done in 4-6 steps and is very colorful, which is neat because it shows they kid how they could color it too.  This book was intended for the pictures to be drawn in crayons and felt pens and tells when to use each.

What Shall I draw by Usborne Publishing 

Here is another one that is not intended to be drawn in and has no room for the kid to drawn in the book.  This is probably the most involved one of the bunch with each picture is drawn in 7-12 steps.  Contents include drawing a pig, space rocket, cat, castle and more.  It adds a page for showing what kids can draw with circles and “things to do with your drawing.” It is 32 pages and would be perfect for kids who have finished the other books and need one that is slightly more advanced but still very beginner.

The Usborne Step-by-Step Drawing Book

This book has 96 pages of drawing fun and has lots of room for practicing drawing.  Everything is drawn in 4-7 steps.  The subjects are varied from how to draw a dog to how to draw an astronaut and pirate, but the majority of the drawings are animals.  The back of the books also has a place where it teaches you how to draw faces or people and animals.  It also has a couple of pages in the back for free drawing in some scenes that Usborne has put into the back.

As you can see from all of the pictures, these books have been VERY well loved in our home. As I have stated in another post, I am really wanting our home to have an atmosphere of learning. I want my kids to be surrounded be resources in our home that promote creativity, thinking and learning so that in their free time, they are doing that instead of mindlessly watching television. Although, we do a little bit of that too. But they mostly can be found learning how to draw, playing with math toys, reading and playing outside. And that’s just the kind of home I want.

Tips for Using How to Draw Books for Kids Ages 3-8

1. Put these either all throughout the house or in a big stack easily grabbed for little hands. We have a certain part in our house where I have over 10 of these kinds of books so the kids can grab it whenever they want. I also have a caddy with crayons, colored pencils and more close by as well as paper so they can draw any time.
2. Use these as part of your nature study! Recently we were studying a certain animal in our nature study time and she asked how to draw it. These are perfect for that! You can look up any animal and have step-by-step instructions for how to draw it into your nature study journal. Easy for even the youngest nature study student!
3. Draw along side your kids! This is a great way to spend time with them. We all gather around the table and get our stack of how to draw books for kids, our crayon caddy and paper and ALL draw a picture using them. Such a fun way to take a break and spend some quality family time. And the kids will love that you’re doing it with them!

A List of the Best How to Draw Books for Kids Ages 3-8

• My First I Can Draw by Make Believe Ideas Ltd.
• The Usborne Step by Step Drawing Book
• What Shall I Draw? by Usborne Publishing
• Usborne Playtime I Can Draw Animals
• You Can Draw by Kasia Dudziuk

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