Modeling Clay Animals: Easy-to-Follow Projects in Simple Steps »

(back cover)
With this step-by-step book, children will have fun creating beautiful animal figures out of modeling clay. All techniques described are easy for children to master, and kids will be delighted by the wonderful array of animals they can fashion when they start out with simple balls and sausages of clay. Parents and teachers will also appreciate this fun approach to art instruction, and will have a wonderful time helping kids develop their creative talents.

School Library Journal

Gr 2 5—In this well-put-together resource, Cuxart shows readers how to make more than 50 different figures using clay and other materials. The book begins with basic tips and instructions and then devotes a page or two to each of the projects. The animals are arranged roughly by habitat, with sea creatures followed by jungle animals, farm animals, and insects. For each one there are illustrated step-by-step instructions and a photo of the final product. The instructions are primarily visual and are accompanied by a sentence or two of text. They are very clear, and even fairly young children should be able to follow the directions without much adult intervention. Some of the final products are more stylized than others, but all are appealing. The projects are designed to be made with nondrying clay, although they could be adapted for use with other mediums. Printed on heavy paper, the book has bright color illustrations and uncluttered white backgrounds. These projects are simpler and less stylized than those in Maureen Carlson's Clay Characters for Kids (North Light, 2003). A good choice for craft-book collections.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT