Do you ever wonder if there's a difference between a doodle, a cartoon, a gag, or a work of fine art? "More Things Like This" is a book filled with work from artists who very simply create plain imagery and then add absurd text (which might seem inappropriate to some), in an effort to deflate the seriousness of the notion of fine art. Sometimes you just have to take things a little less serious and laugh at the ridiculousness, of well, everything.

Who could say that they've had the privilege of collaborating with the likes of Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Barry McGee, James Jean, Ed Fella, Dave Kinsey, Jay Ryan, Grotesk, Parra - the list goes on forever. Eight year old Cohen Morano can. Like most kids, Cohen likes to watercolor. What's different about his paintings is that his dad has sent them out to an impressive roster of artists and illustrators. These artists have then added and altered Cohen's watercolor creations in their own style to create something completely new - focusing on celebrating the creativity of childhood. You can see all of the collaborations in the book titled, "The Rest is Up to You" I promise, this book is a goodie.

Born in Yilan, Taiwan, Meng Chia Lai creates playful worlds with the intent on communicating a sincere, gentle language which is internationally recognizable. Her works share a warmth reminiscent of childhood, brief encounters and humane, idiosyncratic observations. Her ever growing collection of books are definately worth a gander. To describe her illustrations as childlike would be miss-guided, it is naive and pure of heart and thought. See more »

You know when something good happens and you feel like you want to jump out of your own skin? It's the way I feel every time I receive a package in the mail (snail mail, not e-mail). Every month I allow myself to buy at least one book for my library and today I received Sara Fanelli's "Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I am." Inside the book, Steven Heller explains better than I ever could:

"Viewing the pages of Sara Fanelli's sketchbooks showcased in this handsome volume...I was overcome, not so much by awe - though I am in awe of her incredible output - but by a surprising sense of calm. It is not often that art, and particularly such wild art as this, could cause me to feel the least bit peaceful; but Fanelli's drawings, cuttings, collagings, smearings, smudgings, and scrawlings project through the chaos of their seemingly ad hoc compositions a sublimely soothing air - like a visual message. Yet unlike so much contemporary art - especially art rendered in the familiar cut-and-paste manner, which is designed, I believe, to agitate the eyes and grate the mind - this particular work is non-confrontational."

Have you ever had a habit that you kept to yourself, then one day realized that this habit actually has a name? And people (lots of people, maybe) actually do this thing too? When I was a kid, I always did anonymous little gestures for strangers. Things like, dropping drawings of eskimos into the supermarket freezer (drawn on paper snow flakes, of course).

I thought it was a bit odd so I kept it to myself.

But what do you know, this habit of mine does have a name. And so Keri Smith (ahh, she's the best) introduced me to the secret, satisyfying world of guerilla art.

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Sketchbooks allow for freedom - for the maker to daydream, vent, and explore in private. Some keep it simple. Some fill every page with scribbles, scraps of paper or tape. Either way, they allow us to get a glimpse of what makes that person tick; which is why Richard Brereton created the book Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators and Creatives. In it, the individual artists explain how they use their sketchbooks to create their finished works. These types of books never get old and are always insightful.

Picture this: 445 illustrations in a broad spectrum of styles and techniques by 80 different drawing enthusiasts. I've owned this book for about three years and every time I'm feeling hungry for some inspiration, for something truly satisfying, my hands go straight for this book. The Picture Book has become my bible, of sorts, and deserves to be sitting on everyone's bookshelf.

Above is titled Yeti vs. Big Foot by Genevieve Gauckler.