1-2-3 Calligraphy!: Letters and Projects for Beginners and Beyond

Grade 4 Up—Winters follows the successful format of Calligraphy for Kids (Sterling, 2004) with this companion volume. However, readers need not have worked with the earlier title in order to grasp the material in this one. An attractive dust jacket hints at the styles that are taught within. Twenty well-written, easy-to-follow explanatory chapters are filled with plenty of practical exercises. Chapters are grouped into three parts with the first reviewing calligraphy basics, vocabulary, and types of writing instruments. The second part teaches italic, swing gothic, and modern gothic alphabets. Finally, creative projects such as stationery, envelopes, signs, and "calligrams" are described. The author also suggests other ways to find patterns for calligraphy projects such as photocopying shapes or pictures from children's books, advertisements, greeting cards, and gift wrap but includes no mention of copyright issues. Nonetheless, this eye-catching how-to book is a great resource for children and adults.—Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH
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Winters follows her excellent Calligraphy for Kids (2004) with another overview of the art for young people. In this title, Winters spends less time covering basics and cultural and historical facts about calligraphy than she did in her previous book. Instead, she devotes most of the well-designed spreads to precise instructions on how to create various alphabets. Numerous examples show how small corrections, such as adjusting letter widths and angles, can greatly improve the finished work, and final sections include a nice selection of projects--from envelopes to personalized signs and cards. Appended are worksheets for photocopying. There's some overlap with Calligraphy for Kids, so libraries that own that title probably won't need this one, too. Still, the direct, clear, practical advice makes this a good choice for collections that need resources on the subject. Gillian Engberg
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