For children, drawing is more than just a form of play, it’s a tool of self-expression. Written by a children’s art teacher, this book helps parents enter the inner worlds of their children by learning to analyze their drawings according to established psychological principles.

For children, art can be a means of expression that is more direct than language, reflecting their responses to their inner and outer worlds, but this point is often overlooked. With more than 20 years of experience teaching art, author Lai Yu-Li uses the theories of Virginia Satir and psychoanalysis to teach parents how to engage their children in a “drawing dialogue”.

Lai begins with case studies that illustrate the effectiveness of using art to decode the inner experiences of children. Lai then introduces his theoretical framework in an easy-to-follow manner by exploring what is unique about the way children draw, the stages of childhood development as expressed through art, and the development of children’s art. Next, he discusses the theories and methods of interpreting children’s drawings, and walks parents through the process of engaging children in a “drawing dialogue”. Finally, the author describes how both parents and children can learn greater self-awareness, self-control, adaptability, and problem-solving through shared artistic activities, and thus develop a stronger parent-child bond.

The fruit of decades of experience teaching children’s art and interpreting children’s drawings, this book combines theory and case studies to provide detailed guidance to parents who would like to use art to better understand their children, and develop a more positive and interactive relationship with them.