Making Books by Paul Johnson

I got this book out of the library as I was desperate to make a simple book for my own drawings, and I didn't get it back from my 7 year old for some time.  As Johnson says, in comparison to other written and art work, when a child creates a book of their own they become more engaged and more likely to successfully complete the task.

Johnson includes 32 projects for children to make books.  In the introduction there is a table of projects, their range and text level skills for teachers, some basic books forms and a section on planning, drafting, storyboards, materials, safety and tips for success.  At the very end is a template for a personal record book which enables the child to record their thoughts about the book making process.

Each project is clearly marked with an age range next to the title, the projects increase in age range from the first (age 5-6) to last (age 10-11).  There is an 'aim' box giving the book and project form and a clear indication of preparation requirements and time needed for the project.  Instructions to make each book are in clear diagrams, and there are pictures and text on how to use the project.  At the end is a section on more ideas.

A really well constructed deeply inspirational book that doesn't require any specialist equipment.

Painting on Stones by Genevieve Ploquin

On the plus side this book is great for inspiration and good for the templates and techniques sections, giving advice on transferring designs, varnishing and materials.  However, many of the designs use more than one stone, which may be fine for you but when I paint a stone I just want to be able to carry it around alone, not stick it together with another one.

X-Men First Class by Jeff Parker, Roger Cruz and Kevin Nowlan

Really good collection of stories by Jeff Parker, Roger Cruz and Kevin Nowlan returning to the early days of the X-Men's time at Xavier's School for Gifted Children, when Jean Gray was still Marvel Girl, fighting alongside Iceman, Angel, Cyclops and Beast with appearances from Scarlet Witch, Thor, Quicksilver and Dr Strange.  The collection covers both some high energy action with great artwork and the delicacy of relationships developing between the young mutants.

Painting Animals on Stones by Lin Wellford

A brilliant book with full colour illustrations and black and white diagrams showing you how to use acrylics to paint ladybirds, penguins, field mice, rabbits, fawns, owls, foals, squirrels, kittens and animal families onto rock.  The author introduces the book with a section on  where to find and how to select the best stones and about supplies and equipment.  Each animal project has clear pictures of equipment needed, the best kind of rock to use and simple step by step illustrations and photographs, my 7 year old is able to follow them.

Whispers from a Lebanese Kitchen by Nouha Taouk


Taouk's family are Lebanese exiles living in Australia and they connect with their lost heritage through stories and cookery which weave together as the women cook the dishes in this well laid out colourful book.

In a way it resembles a normal cookery book, with sections in meal order: starters and mezze, salads, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, fish dishes , dessert and coffee but they are interspersed with and in presentation influenced by the stories, the memories the family have of their brief time in Lebanon and lives in Australia, of family gatherings and the food used to celebrate religious occasions.

Some ingredients are quite specialized but these days you can shop online and don't necessarily need the good network of Lebanese grocers, bakers and butchers that surround Taouk's family.

Art and Propaganda by Toby Clark


Clark writes a comprehensive coverage of art propaganda in chronological form.

The first chapter charts propaganda's beginnings in suffrage, the avant garde and revolution, chapter 2 covers Fascism, chapter 3 Communism, chapter 4 Wartime, and chapter 5 up to the present day, protest art, Vietnam, AIDS and feminism.

In some ways this is a really good book, covering the art of propaganda through its most potent forms in Nazi Germany, wartime Britain and communist USSR to the present day, but I felt it was also a bit lacking.  As a book about art I would have lot more commentary on how the pieces of art worked, explanation of symbolism, interpretation of the use of light, colour etc.  Clark just gives historical background to each piece which is useful but incomplete.

The last chapter fails to address street art, a major form of protest.  Also, there is not enough coverage of the monumental statuary and architecture of fascism and communism.  Could have been a much better book.

World Textiles by John Gillow and Bryan Sentance

Gillow and Sentence have brought their wealth of experience and learning to create a wonderful well organised book that describes in well written words, full colour photographs and line drawings, pretty much every kind of textile art there is.


They divide the contents into 8 sections: materials, non-loom textiles, loom-woven textiles, dyes, sewing, embroidery and embellishment, then each section then is divided further into individual double page spreads covering single subject areas. There is some repetition given cross overs but very little and the book is worked chronologically, so if a subject is covered in a previous section it is only touched on and referred back to.

What I really loved was that this book isn't just pictures, the authors skillfully write a precis of every technique which is easy to understand and concise, not easy given just how complex each subject is and they are giving each only a double page spread.