Modeling Clay Animals

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