Cool Stuff drawing books: step by step or grid?

Two books, one cast of Cool Stuff characters by cartoonist Kevin Coulston. Best for kids who want a bit of everything: monsters, aliens and robots in one book.

Ages 5+
By Kevin Coulston
2 books

Step by step · a great first book

How to Draw: Cool Stuff: Monsters, Aliens, Robots, and More

For a child who cannot settle on one theme, Cool Stuff mixes monsters, aliens, robots, and more into a step-by-step drawing book. Its 50 subjects keep the next lesson unpredictable.

Intended for ages 5 and up, each character is constructed in manageable stages. The broad mix makes it a useful beginner cartoon drawing book for kids who like inventing strange creatures as much as familiar ones.

See it on Amazon More about this book on FirstArtBooks.com

Grid · for careful, puzzle-loving kids

Draw by Grid: Cool Stuff

Cool Stuff offers a mixed grid drawing challenge with monsters, aliens, robots, and other cartoons. Children can meet a new sort of shape on each page while using the same square-by-square technique.

The book is intended for ages 5 and up. It fits an artist who enjoys variety and wants to practice looking closely without committing to an entire book of just one character type.

See it on Amazon More about this book on FirstArtBooks.com

Which one should you get?

Same characters, different kinds of practice. Pick step by step for a first drawing book. Pick grid for a kid who likes puzzles, or who already has the step-by-step book.

	Step by step (How to Draw)	Grid (Draw by Grid)
What your kid does	Adds one new line or shape at a time, in six steps, then draws the whole character again.	Copies the picture one lettered square at a time onto a matching blank grid.
Feels like	Learning how a cartoonist builds a character.	A calm drawing puzzle.
Best for	A first drawing book, ages 5 and up.	Careful, patient kids and anyone who likes accuracy.
Builds	Seeing shapes inside characters, following directions, confidence.	Observation, proportion and pencil control.

Getting both? Many families start with the step-by-step book, then add the grid book when their kid wants a calmer challenge with the same characters.