Fans pick 100 books like The Big Book of Faces

By Erik DePrince,

Here are 100 books that The Big Book of Faces fans have personally recommended if you like The Big Book of Faces. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of How to Draw Peanuts: Drawing Characters And Coloring With Peanuts Stress Relieving

Curt Visca Author Of How to Draw Cartoon Reptiles

From my list on drawing cartoons step by step.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been cartooning, or "curtooning," my entire life. As a child, I drew cartoons of everything, from animals to dinosaurs, and was the cartoonist for my elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college newspapers. My cartooning style with big eyes and simple lines came from my favorite cartoonists and their cartoon strips that I read every day in the newspapers. However, my most significant influence was reading every cartoon in Mad Magazine, including comics from Don Martin, Sergio Aragonés, and Al Jaffee. When cable came out with multiple channels in the 1980s, I felt there was not enough kid-friendly content, so I created my award-winning cable show titled It's Curtoon Time.

Curt's book list on drawing cartoons step by step

Curt Visca Why did Curt love this book?

I’m the biggest Peanuts cartoon strip fan and enjoy this book because it teaches artists how to draw each Peanuts character in an easy-to-follow step-by-step manner. Most people that don’t think they can draw become overwhelmed with where to start. This book reminds cartoonists to follow a pattern and to focus on one line at a time that will all come together and form Snoopy, Charlie Brown, or Lucy. My wife and I have even flown into the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport and visited the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, on two different occasions. I highly recommend visiting! Good grief, buy this book!

By Hirano Seishiro,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Draw Peanuts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Learn to Draw Your Favorite Disney/Pixar Characters:  Featuring Favorite Characters from Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, and More!

Curt Visca Author Of How to Draw Cartoon Reptiles

From my list on drawing cartoons step by step.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been cartooning, or "curtooning," my entire life. As a child, I drew cartoons of everything, from animals to dinosaurs, and was the cartoonist for my elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college newspapers. My cartooning style with big eyes and simple lines came from my favorite cartoonists and their cartoon strips that I read every day in the newspapers. However, my most significant influence was reading every cartoon in Mad Magazine, including comics from Don Martin, Sergio Aragonés, and Al Jaffee. When cable came out with multiple channels in the 1980s, I felt there was not enough kid-friendly content, so I created my award-winning cable show titled It's Curtoon Time.

Curt's book list on drawing cartoons step by step

Curt Visca Why did Curt love this book?

I had the pleasure of going to Disneyland as a child and working at Disneyland for many years in high school and college. It was an honor to create artwork for Disney Castmembers (employees), such as t-shirt designs and a giant cartoon mural when there was an attendance record one summer day. Anything Disney/Pixar-related from the 1990s to the early 2000s is near and dear to my heart, such as the movies Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. We took our children to see these movies when they were young, and I still watch them today. This book covers everything, from teaching Disney/Pixar fans how to draw Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars to Elastigirl from The Incredibles. The drawing exercising section is also a nice touch. Snap out of it, Buzz, and buy this book!

By Disney Storybook Artists,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Learn to Draw Your Favorite Disney/Pixar Characters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

Aspiring artists can now re-create the remarkable characters of Disney•Pixar films using Learn to Draw Your Favorite Disney•Pixar Characters as their guide. Following simple instructions, artists-in-training can learn to draw the entertaining personalities from Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Up, Inside Out, Coco, and more.

In this book, after an introduction to art tools and materials, a series of drawing exercises invites artists to warm up and learn a few basic drawing techniques. Then the real fun begins! The easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through the drawing process; each step builds upon the last until the…


Book cover of Draw 50 Famous Cartoons: The Step-By-Step Way to Draw Your Favorite Classic Cartoon Characters

Curt Visca Author Of How to Draw Cartoon Reptiles

From my list on drawing cartoons step by step.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been cartooning, or "curtooning," my entire life. As a child, I drew cartoons of everything, from animals to dinosaurs, and was the cartoonist for my elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college newspapers. My cartooning style with big eyes and simple lines came from my favorite cartoonists and their cartoon strips that I read every day in the newspapers. However, my most significant influence was reading every cartoon in Mad Magazine, including comics from Don Martin, Sergio Aragonés, and Al Jaffee. When cable came out with multiple channels in the 1980s, I felt there was not enough kid-friendly content, so I created my award-winning cable show titled It's Curtoon Time.

Curt's book list on drawing cartoons step by step

Curt Visca Why did Curt love this book?

This book brings back many fond memories of Saturday mornings as a child when I would watch Popeye and Felix cartoons and The Archie Show on TV. I don’t think we can call a cartoon character Jughead anymore, but you can learn how to draw Jughead step by step and his trademark beanie. This crown-shaped cap, also called a whoopee cap or Jughead cap was popular in the 1930s to 1940s. You’ll go down memory lane with this book and, in a Popeye voice, say, “I yam what I yam.”

By Lee J. Ames,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Draw 50 Famous Cartoons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Even the youngest artists can make famous characters look great. It is aimed at aged 5 and upwards. "Draw 50 Famous Cartoons" teaches aspiring artists how to draw with easy by following simple, step-by-step instructions. Celebrated author Lee J. Ames shows readers how to draw a myriad of beloved cartoon characters, including Felix the Cat, Tin Tin, Flinstones, Yogi bear, Popeye, Scoobie Doo and many more. Ames' illustration style and renowned drawing method has made him a leader in the step-by-step drawing manual - the twenty-seven books in his "Draw 50" series have sold more than three million copies. It's…


Book cover of The How To Draw Book For Kids Anything Everything in the Cutest Style

Curt Visca Author Of How to Draw Cartoon Reptiles

From my list on drawing cartoons step by step.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been cartooning, or "curtooning," my entire life. As a child, I drew cartoons of everything, from animals to dinosaurs, and was the cartoonist for my elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college newspapers. My cartooning style with big eyes and simple lines came from my favorite cartoonists and their cartoon strips that I read every day in the newspapers. However, my most significant influence was reading every cartoon in Mad Magazine, including comics from Don Martin, Sergio Aragonés, and Al Jaffee. When cable came out with multiple channels in the 1980s, I felt there was not enough kid-friendly content, so I created my award-winning cable show titled It's Curtoon Time.

Curt's book list on drawing cartoons step by step

Curt Visca Why did Curt love this book?

This book makes me smile because it's filled with a plethora of the cutest cartoons to draw step by step, from rainbows to cupcakes. Sometimes a person will tell me they don't like to draw certain types of cartoons, such as a cat. Still, I remind them that drawing something you are not interested in broadens your horizons and deepens your understanding of the world as you step out of your comfort zone. I like how author Takeshi Sugimori reminds artists to believe in themselves. Plus, he covers the artform of sketch hatching or shading, which is rarely covered in books. When I taught kids how to draw on my It's Curtoon Time TV show, I would remind them to add shading at the end of each cartoon. Sometimes life is about rainbows and unicorns!

Book cover of How to Draw Cute Stuff

Art Roche Author Of Art for Kids: Comic Strips, 3: Create Your Own Comic Strips from Start to Finish

From my list on for kids to learn about cartooning.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Art Roche and I've been drawing cartoons and comic strips for over twenty-five years. I wish everyone drew comics! Comic strips are an amazing art form that has been around for thousands of years. With a simple pencil, pen, and paper the artist can tell thrilling stories, make hilarious jokes, or illustrate their own diaries. Once you learn the basic mechanics of how comics are designed and built, anyone can begin drawing them regardless of talent level or experience.

Art's book list on for kids to learn about cartooning

Art Roche Why did Art love this book?

This book features a simple, modern art style that will be appealing to most young artists. It starts out with a nice introduction to drawing tools and basic shapes then moves on to drawing simple objects that can be found around the house. Character design and perspective are also covered and done so with a light, humorous tone. A very comprehensive guide to drawing and an excellent resource!

By Angela Nguyen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Draw Cute Stuff as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Enter Planet Cute—where kids can make any drawing absolutely adorable!
Draw anything and everything—people, animals, and things—and make it CUTE. It’s easy! Budding artists just have to pick up their pencils, pens, crayons, or gel markers and follow these step-by-step how-to sequences. They’ll learn the basics of Japanese kawaii, which emphasizes simple, rounded shapes; faces with large eyes and sweet expressions; and personifying inanimate objects. They’ll also master animals, mythical creatures, food, plants, vehicles, and more!


Book cover of The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree

Paul V. Allen Author Of Jack Kent: The Wit, Whimsy, and Wisdom of a Comic Storyteller

From my list on children’s stories by cartoonists.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved comic strips since I was a kid, so children’s books that had cartoon art in them were the ultimate for me. That love drove me to research and write about the career and life of Jack Kent. Books by cartoonists tend to have the whole package: They tell a story visually, they’re funny, and they use language economically but memorably. The limitations I placed on myself in choosing this list were 1) the creator had to have both written and drawn the book, and 2) they had to have been established as a professional cartoonist before moving into children’s books.

Paul's book list on children’s stories by cartoonists

Paul V. Allen Why did Paul love this book?

A fact lost in their massive success in children’s books is that Stan and Jan Berenstain started as cartoonists.

In the 1940s and 1950s their work appeared in the likes of the Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, and McCall’s, and they had a series of best-selling “cartoon essay” books. Their famous bears debuted in 1962 as part of Beginner Books, a line created by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, Helen Palmer Geisel, and Phyllis Cerf.

With 1978’s The Spooky Old Tree, The Berenstains created the quintessential early reader, using repetition and predictability, prepositional phrases, rich visuals, and high drama to captivate their young audience (and their parents). “Do they dare? Yes. They dare.”

By Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Join the Berenstain Bears on a spooky adventure in this classic children's book perfect for learning to read!

Climb the Spooky Old Tree with the Berenstain Bears! This classic children's book makes great use of rhyming and repetition of phrases to encourage children's reading, and the spooky story will delight young and old!

Bright and Early Books are designed to encourage even 'non-reading' children to read.
Some Bright and Early Books are simple stories, others are hilarious nonsense: both types have been designed to give children confidence and make them want to go on reading. Perfect for both boys and…


Book cover of MetaMaus

John Carey Author Of A Revolution in Three Acts: The Radical Vaudeville of Bert Williams, Eva Tanguay, and Julian Eltinge

From my list on merging art with personal history.

Why am I passionate about this?

I had been an exhibiting painter and an editorial cartoonist for years, but never a graphic book artist. Not until A Revolution in Three Acts. I was fortunate to have great guidance: my buddy David Hajdu (Positively Fourth Street, Lush Life, The Ten Cent Plague) wrote the words, did the research, and created the blueprint of every page and panel. My job was to lock myself up in my studio and draw, draw, draw. I think David and I did justice to three amazing figures of the American stage who dealt with the shifting societal forces of race, femininity, and gender: Bert Williams, Eva Tanguay, and Julian Eltinge.  

John's book list on merging art with personal history

John Carey Why did John love this book?

This is the backstory of Spiegelman’s two-volume masterpiece.

What was the impetus for MAUS? How did comic creatures find their way into a Holocaust narrative?  What were the reactions to such a unique merging of cartoons and historical horror? How has Spiegelman dealt with the book’s tremendous reception?

The book answers these questions with many interviews, photos, explanations, and reflections. Even agent and publisher rejection letters are included.

By Art Spiegelman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked MetaMaus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER • Visually and emotionally rich, MetaMaus is as groundbreaking as the masterpiece whose creation it reveals.

In the pages of MetaMaus, Art Spiegelman re-enters the Pulitzer prize–winning Maus, the modern classic that has altered how we see literature, comics, and the Holocaust ever since it was first published twenty-five years ago.
 
He probes the questions that Maus most often evokes—Why the Holocaust? Why mice? Why comics?—and gives us a new and essential work about the creative process.
 
Compelling and intimate, MetaMaus is poised to become a classic in its own right.


Book cover of Let's Make Comics!: An Activity Book to Create, Write, and Draw Your Own Cartoons

Art Roche Author Of Art for Kids: Comic Strips, 3: Create Your Own Comic Strips from Start to Finish

From my list on for kids to learn about cartooning.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Art Roche and I've been drawing cartoons and comic strips for over twenty-five years. I wish everyone drew comics! Comic strips are an amazing art form that has been around for thousands of years. With a simple pencil, pen, and paper the artist can tell thrilling stories, make hilarious jokes, or illustrate their own diaries. Once you learn the basic mechanics of how comics are designed and built, anyone can begin drawing them regardless of talent level or experience.

Art's book list on for kids to learn about cartooning

Art Roche Why did Art love this book?

The author of this book is a working cartoonist and illustrator and that makes this one of the best books out there. The book packs an immense amount of practical information about how to draw cartoons into easy, fun worksheet-style activities. Different styles of writing, as well as complex concepts, are communicated in simple visually striking lessons. I have to admit if I was giving a young artist a book (and they already had both of mine) I would definitely give them this book. It’s comprehensive, fun, and simple. It also allows the young artist room to draw in their own style, instead of copying a given drawing. That’s one of my pet peeves!

By Jess Smart Smiley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Let's Make Comics! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A light-hearted interactive guide to comics and cartoon-making that uses an activity book format and creatively stimulating prompts to teach the fundamentals of cartooning in a fun and easy-to-follow fashion.

From a working cartoonist and comic book making instructor, this all-ages activity book uses humorous and informative one-page comics and exercise prompts to guide young readers (and readers who are young at heart) through easy-to-master lessons on the skills needed to make comics. The activities cover a range of essential comics-making tasks from creating expressions for characters to filling in blank panels to creating original characters and placing them in…


Book cover of Thurber's Dogs

Kate Feiffer Author Of Henry the Dog with No Tail

From my list on with the word “dog” in the title.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of eleven children’s books, including Double Pink, My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life, and No Go Sleep! As a dog lover, many of my books are about dogs or feature dogs. In President Pennybaker, illustrated by Diane Goode, a dog become president. In The Problem with The Puddles, illustrated by Tricia Tusa, a chihuahua and a Great Dane, both named Sally, get separated from their family and have a rollicking adventure trying to get reunited. When I write, I try to find clever approaches to universal themes and enjoy making children laugh. (I am also the event producer for Islanders Write, a writer’s festival on Martha’s Vineyard Island.)

Kate's book list on with the word “dog” in the title

Kate Feiffer Why did Kate love this book?

As a lifelong doodler and a dog lover, I am a fan of James Thurber’s simple lines that say a lot and his witty whimsical way with words. Thurber was a celebrated writer and cartoonist—he died in 1961—who had a wry take on human nature and our idiosyncrasies. While much of his work feels dated now, in my opinion, his dog doodles are evergreen.

By James Thurber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thurber's Dogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Explores the charming world of Thurber's hounds as recorded in his prose and drawings


Book cover of I Paint What I See

Stu Heinecke Author Of How to Grow Your Business Like a Weed: A Complete Strategy for Unstoppable Growth

From my list on to ignite a creative entrepreneurial spirit.

Why am I passionate about this?

Throughout my oddly circuitous career, my mission has always been to help clients grow their businesses. Along the way, I’ve come up with some pretty useful insights and innovations. I mixed cartoons (I’m also one of the WSJ cartoonists) with direct marketing and created a new genre that broke many response records. Then I wrote How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, which helped readers drastically improve their sales results (and was named one of the top 64 sales books of all time). And now, How to Grow Your Business Like a Weed adapts nature’s ultimate growth model for business use, to produce explosive, sustainable growth. 

Stu's book list on to ignite a creative entrepreneurial spirit

Stu Heinecke Why did Stu love this book?

Early in my career, I found myself mentored by several of the world’s top cartoonists from Playboy and The New Yorker, including the amazing Gahan Wilson. His cartoons were works of wonder, with intricate cross-hatching, quirky details, and trademark macabre stylings. By sheer luck, I’d stumbled into a backstage pass with one of the greatest cartooning talents ever, so observing his process was a privilege. Humor is about revealing the truth with a twist, which is why I treasure this particular book by Gahan. It’s a collection of his work, but also a statement of entire purpose for all of cartooning—to capture truth.

By Gahan Wilson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Paint What I See as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Presents over one hundred examples of the celebrated cartoonist's wit and humor


Book cover of How to Draw Peanuts: Drawing Characters And Coloring With Peanuts Stress Relieving
Book cover of Learn to Draw Your Favorite Disney/Pixar Characters:  Featuring Favorite Characters from Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, and More!
Book cover of Draw 50 Famous Cartoons: The Step-By-Step Way to Draw Your Favorite Classic Cartoon Characters

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Interested in cartoons, drawing, and cartoonists?

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