The childhood and adolescent drawings consist of numerous dissimilar drawings and paper quality. Among other things, Astrup's has used pencil, ink, crayons and ink washes on types of paper such as newspaper clippings, public transport schedules and slips of paper. Most of the drawings have a square format, but some have been cut out as figures. The drawings are glued in with little daubs of paint in the corners and are arranged closely together, with a density that varies from 4 to 35 drawings per page.

The book is fragile and somewhat fragmented. Several pages have come loose from the original binding and certain drawings have become unglued. With its worn edges, the book has the appearance of having been leafed through repeatedly. Some of the pages in the book have holes in them, indicating that drawings have been cut out. These drawings are not identified.