Doodlepedia by DK Publishing

Doodlepedia is part encyclopedia, part colouring book and part doodling pad. This book doesn't just allow readers to draw or doodle in the book, it encourages it, all the while learning about a variety of subjects.

I really enjoyed this book. While I don't generally doodle in books, I like books that allow me to do so. I love how it connects activities with facts. It makes the learning fun and just might make the information easier to remember.

The book doesn't go into much depth with any one subject. Rather it's more like a list of facts on a bunch of different subjects. Even though it's a little short on information, there's plenty of things to colour and lots of room to draw. It could provide the reader with hours of reading, drawing, doodling and colouring fun.

The order of the pages appear to be random. That is there's no apparent order to the subjects. On one page you are learning about (and drawing your own) International Space Station (ISS). On the next, you are digging for diamonds. After that, you're learning about the poles, then shapes. I really liked this! The book doesn't have to be completed in a certain order, either. The reader is free to jump around to whatever they find interesting or feel like doing at the time.

I really like the style of the drawings in the book - cute and cartoon-like. They should be very appealing to the target audience, 6-12 year-olds. The text is large and easy to read, but some of the words might be a little challenging for the youngest readers. There were some words I didn't know! Most are explained (crenellations - gaps at the tops of castle walls), but a few of them are not (plinth, which I learned was a pedestal or platform.)

The book doesn't contain a table of context, an index or even page numbers. It really doesn't need them. However, if you are looking for specific subjects to learn about, that could be a drawback.

The one other drawback is that once the book has been coloured and doodled in, it's not going to be as much fun the next time or for the next reader. Although, once it's completed it might make a nice keepsake of the child's artwork for parents or grandparents if they are into that sort of thing.

Highly recommended.  It would definitely make a great Christmas present!  If you wrap it up with some art supplies or even just a pencil, it'll keep them quiet while you go back to bed. ;)

There are a few other Doodlepedia books available from DK. I haven't seen them, but if they are anything like this one, they'll be terrific.

For more information about this book, please visit DK's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at DK Canada for this review copy.

Doodlepedia by DK Publishing, Dorling Kindersley (DK), ©2012. ISBN 9780756690113(Paperback), 112p.