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Photo of Extraordinary Women with Cameras by Darcy Reed and Vanessa Perez, as well as Watercolor with Markers by Jessica Mack

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.

 

Photo of pages featuring explanations of various watercolor with marker techniques
Example of the explanation of various techniques related to water coloring and water coloring with markers.

 

 

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.

 

photo of step-by-step explanation of a deciduous tree
This photo collage exemplarily shows the easy-to-follow instructions for a project of medium difficulty

 

photo of instructions to paint a hat and gloves in the reviewed Rocky Nook book
Photo of instructions for painting a hat and gloves. This project is one of the most difficult projects explained in the book.

 

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.

 

photos of pages in Extraordinary Women with Cameras showing the illustrations and narrative
Look inside “Extraordinary Women with Cameras” to show the illustrations and narrative with CTAs. The CTAs provide motivations and inspirations for the reader to experiment with photography.

 

 

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:

All these Rocky Nook books are great gifts for hobby crafters in the respective fields.

 

Photos: N. Mölders

© 2013-2022 Nicole Mölders | All rights reserved

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