The fine folks at Klutz sent me a copy of Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars for review. While I essay writing services thought it looked like lots of fun myself, I thought it would be even more interesting to get the opinion of my home’s artist-in-residence, my daughter Emma.
Now Emma has been drawing for…
well, about as long as she’s been able to hold a pencil/crayon/marker. She’s always filling up notebooks and sketchbooks with new creations. On top of that, Emma is a huge fan of all things Star Wars, whether it be movies, cartoons, video games, or whatever. So when the package from Klutz arrived and I presented Emma with Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she was speechless. It was the perfect combination for her. Needless to say, she immediately started flipping through the pages, pencil in hand, tracing and drawing and sketching voraciously.
It’s been about a week, so I sat down tonight and interviewed Emma about her experience with the book.
Me: Do you like Star Wars?
Emma: I absolutely love Star Wars.
Me: Are you familiar with the Clone Wars cartoon?
Emma: Kind of.
Me: What did you learn from the Draw Star Wars book?
Emma: I learned to trace better. Plus I learned other stuff, like to start with stick figures, then add shapes, then add details and details.
Me: So has what you’ve learned in the book changed your drawing process?
Emma: When I want to draw something and I want it to be sort of realistic, I use the steps from the book –the stick figures, then shapes, then details and more details.
Me: Now that you’ve had some time with the book, what do you think of it?
Emma: It’s awesome because it’s Star Wars and it will help me become a better artist.
Me: Would you recommend it to anyone?
Emma: Yes, to people who are interested in art and drawing. And Star Wars.
One thing of note about Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars is that it takes you, step by step, through the drawing process. As Emma noted, they teach the fundamentals of the art of animation: start with a stick figure, add the basic shapes, then add the details and refine those details. Draw Star Wars works through each step with specific activities that incrementally develop the budding artist’s skills. Emma liked this approach; her favorite activities were those that gave her some basic shapes or outlines and asked her to add her own details to create a unique image.
Based on Emma’s response (and, of course, my own analysis of the book), I’ll second Emma’s recommendation. If you’ve got a child who likes to draw, this would be a great choice for them. It’s fun and easy to follow, and it does actually manage to educate as well. Included with the book are a set of pencils and an eraser, making this a great all-in-one package, perfect for a gift or even a stocking stuffer. 
Ben Martin is the CEO of THE FATHER LIFE. He lives with his wife and five children in the Rochester, NY, area.
Emma sounds absolutely adorable! Bless her little heart.