It is not uncommon for the drawings of our little ones to end up in the wastepaper basket. Yet these early artistic expressions contain important statement s about children’s development. From the first scratches and scribbles up to the detailed sketches of houses and people, children’s drawings are significant manifestations of inner processes, and indications of the gradual invarnation into a psysical body.

Michaela Strauss’s classic book is a pioneer work that can strengthen observation, understanding and love for the being of the child, both in the parental home and the kindergarten. First issued in 1978, it is republished here with revisions, improved reproductions and a larger format.