The interior of the book is not full of bright, bold colors like some comics, but the sketch-like illustrations capture plenty of expression and emotion, and just the right amount of detail to keep you focused as well as interested. Here's a breakdown of the chapter topics, which should be read in order:
Chapter 1: The [characters] meeting
Chapter 2: Drawing what you see
Chapter 3: Shading
Chapter 4: Begining with a loose sketch
Chapter 5: Understanding light and shadow
Chapter 6: Using negative space
Chapter 7: Checking proportions
Chapter 8: Simplifying things
Chapter 9: Creating a composition
Chapter 10: Bringing it all together
Chapters 11-12: (more about the characters, I won't spoil it)
I read the whole thing in one sitting and thought it had some great pointers. I was surprised at how much instruction it did contain, and I appreciated it including little odds and ends such as the mentor explaining to the boy that he couldn't just be motivated to practice in order to be better than another kid who was good at drawing- that's not being an artist. The tips were practical and easy to follow, with clear examples in the illustrations. My 9-year-old son waited a bit impatiently for me to finish reading it so he could jump in. Immediately he stated how much he liked it and started following the instructions so he could sketch. His drawing did improve within the first couples lessons because he was focusing on following the directions and trying the techniques. He said it was a great book and told me I should rate it 5 stars. He appreciated the humor included also. None of the humor was objectionable or offensive in my opinion.
I would recommend this book to anyone old enough to read well, maybe ages 8+, who is interested in learning to draw better. I think it would make an excellent gift item. The pages are thick and of good quality. Although it is a softcover, it feels very durable. The binding seems tight and it lays open flat well even when brand new due to a pre-made crease along both sides of the spine. This is very helpful since you'll want to be able to set the book down and refer to it while sketching. It does not have any "copy what you see on this page" activities at all. It tells you things such as, "Find an object and try shading it with lines that reveal its surface. Remember how David learned to hold the pencil at a low angle to the page; see if you can hold it that way as you add the shading." No special supplies would be needed to work with this book. My son used a pencil and notebook paper, although paper without lines may be less distracting for some people. This is a great book to get you started with beginning drawing skills.
In the interest of full disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of Blogging for Books for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to give a positive review, my opinions are honest.