As we Macophiles wait for whatever golden nuggets of news His Steveness throws our way today during his keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference, I thought I’d launch what I hope will be a regular feature of this blog. Each week I’ll try to spotlight a piece of Mac shareware that I have found particularly impressive.

I can’t take credit for today’s pick; my 7-year-old daughter, Mandy, requested this program a few weeks ago after having enjoyed using it at her school. Called Tux Paint, it’s a basic but very nicely executed drawing/painting program. Best of all is the price – free.

Geekier readers might already know that “Tux the Penguin” is the official mascot of the Linux operating system, a free, Unix-like alternative to Mac OS X and Windows. In a reversal of the usual way these things go, Tux Paint was developed first for Linux then ported to the two mainstream operating systems as well as even more obscure platforms such as FreeBSD and BeOS.

Downloading and installing the OS X version of Tux Paint is straightforward (open the disk image, than drag the icon to your Applications folder). The main program is a compact 6.5 megabytes, but I recommend downloading the “Rubber Stamps Collection” as well, a separate 12.8 megabyte download. If you have a broadband connection (cable or DSL) you’ll have both files in about a minute.

The program follows general art software conventions by having its tools stacked in two columns on the left side of the screen. Tool modifiers, like brush sizes and shapes, appear on the right side. The modifiers change depending on which tool is selected. A color palette stretches in a row across the bottom of the screen. All the buttons are large and clearly labeled with both text and icons, requiring minimal adult explanation/assistance. The Tux Paint Web site recommends the program for ages 3 to 12.

Users can load line drawings to color or create art from scratch. For younger children, the hundreds of rubber stamp images make it easy to create art with recognizable objects. There’s even a scaling tool for the rubber stamps so you can make them exactly the size you want. Printing is possible, but a separate parental control setup program allows Mom and Dad to disable it should Junior’s overuse of pricey color ink become an issue.

One Tux Paint feature some may find annoying (although kids almost surely will love it) is its many sounds. Each action generates a distinct sound effect. When you’re drawing across the screen, the sound actually follows your movement across the stereo field to the other side. Cool.

Mandy has played with Tux Paint frequently since I installed it on my G4 Mac. In fact, it has become her favorite computer activity. With summer vacation upon us, I would recommend Tux Paint to all parents of elementary school children. Its simple, intuitive interface and a price that suits all budgets make this a no-brainer.