1-2-3 Draw Knights, Castles and Dragons »

Freddie Levin has been dividing her time between freelance illustration assignments and teaching art since 1968. She teaches art in a Chicago public school to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

1-2-3 Draw Knights, Castles and Dragons Freddie LevinThe world of fairy tales comes to life with the step-by-step instruction of talented art instructor Freddie Levin. With this installment in the 1-2-3 Draw series, Levin encourages children to create charming, whimsical drawings of their favorite storybook characters and settings. Levin's fun, lively drawings fuel children's imaginations while giving instructions that are easy to follow. Brief written directions accompany the steps, and arrows point out tricky spots that may require extra attention from a young artist. For added inspiration, final drawings are in full color. Part of the 1-2-3 Draw Series—Ideal for children 6-10 years old! Whimsical, appealing drawings spring like magic from the page as young artists learn how to create charming animals from simple shapes. Each step is carefully shown and finished in full color. Freddie Levin has been dividing her time between freelance illustration assignments and teaching art since 1968. She teaches art in a Chicago public school to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Levin describes basic shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, triangles, and trapezoids, and puts them together to create very simple drawings of people, animals, and castles. She admonishes readers to draw very lightly in order to make erasures and to be sure to practice, practice, practice. While showing step-by-step sketches, the author includes descriptions of medieval life and clothing and makes suggestions for what colors to use, e.g., purple, blue, red for royal garb as those dyes were expensive. Specific terms are used as well, such as the "kirtle" the princess wears; a knight's "hauberk" and "gauntlets"; the "portcullis" and "crenelations" of the castle. This book will appeal to competent readers who want to know how to draw while learning a little about life in the Middle Ages.-Cathie Reed, The Montessori School, Lutherville, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.