These reviews of Rocky Nook books cover a children book by Darcy Reed, illustrated by Vanessa Perez entitled “Extraordinary Women with Cameras”, and a book for hobby artists by Jessica Mack entitled “Watercolor with Markers”. Read what’s in the books, and what I think about them.
Disclosure: Ad. The books a media copies of my choice from Rocky Nook. The publisher and authors did not endorse this post. I wrote it entirely myself and it represents my own 100% honest opinion.
Review of Jessica Mack‘s “Watercolor with Markers”
Jessica Mack explains the advantages of water coloring with markers, and explains step-by-step how it works. She shows the additional options that this technique provides beyond water color painting.
The book starts out with a description of the needed material, and a brief introduction into color theory. After a thorough explanation of the various techniques, there are chapters with easy-to-follow projects.
These projects reach from getting started, to complex water coloring of fashion. The difficulty of the painting exercises increases from chapter to chapter. Consequently, the reader can learn to water color with markers applying new techniques along the way, while building on material already mastered.
In the appendix, you find templates for many of the water coloring projects. They may be very helpful for newbies to painting and drawing.
Who Will Like “Watercolor with Markers”
When you love landscape water coloring outdoors, you should read this book because water coloring with markers is a great solution to avoid messy transport of wet colors. When you want to learn water coloring, but are not sure (yet) what kind of objects you want to paint in general, this book is a great start for you. Because it covers various objects from flowers over food to fashion, you can explore various direction. Consequently, you have not to specialize up front like with a book that addresses, for instance, water coloring of a botanical garden, another great Rocky Nook book.
You can buy Jessica Mack‘s book “Watercolor with Markers” at Rocky Nook as print version, eBook, or print and eBook bundle for $24.95, $19.99, and $34.99, respectively.
Review of Darcy Reed‘s and Vanessa Perez‘s “Extraordinary Women with Cameras”
This hardbound book aims at children age 9-12. On 80 pages, Darcy Reed introduces 35 women photographers of the last 200 years, who (have) pushed the envelop in photography, and how we see the world. She provides information on the type of photos that the respective women photographer took. Furthermore, what the woman’s special achievements were, and why these were new. For instance, Gerda Taro being the first female war photographer. The author provides the temporal background, and a brief description of the photographer’s life on one page as well.
Vanessa Perez illustrated each women photographer in the clothing and with photo cameras of their time. These illustrations include a speak bubble that features the underlaying principle/opinion regarding these women’s work. Together the two pages tell the history of photography, women’s movement in the profession, and change in fashion.
Further Educational Values
Besides the history, “Extraordinary Women with Cameras” teaches photography specific terms. When, for instance, a photographer introduced a new genre or new technique of photography, the author provides a child-appropriate explanation of the term.
I particularly like the CTAs that encourage the reader to try a certain type of taking photos, for instance, street photography, with their own camera. Kids may even create a photo book as a gift for a loved family member with their own work.
Who Will Like “Extraordinary Women with Cameras”?
This book is a great educational gift for kids interested in photography and/or women history. However, it’s also a great read for women in general.
You can buy “Extraordinary Women with Cameras” as print and eBook bundle for $26.99, in printed version for $16.95, and as eBook for $13.99 at Rocky Nook.
Further Reviews of Rocky Nook Books
You may also be interested in reading the following reviews of Rocky Nook books:
- Review of Ashlee Elle’s Retro Crochet
- Everyone Can Learn the Art and Science of Drawing with this Book
- Review of Clothing Folds and Creases by Michel Lauricella
- This iPhone Photography Book Ups Your Skills to the Next Level
All these Rocky Nook books are great gifts for hobby crafters in the respective fields.
Photos: N. Mölders
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