iiiiReader Book Reviews

Kawaii Halloween: A Super Cute Holiday Coloring Book (Kawaii, Manga and Anime Coloring Books for Adults, Teens and Tweens) (Volume 5)

By: Mindful Coloring Books

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really cute Halloween coloring book with lots of kittens, pumpkins, witches, vampires and cute little trick or treaters. Each of the design pages are filled with adorable little ones that are so much fun to color. I have another Kawaii style coloring book and have enjoyed coloring it, so when I found this book in a similar style with a Halloween vibe, I knew I would enjoy it as well.

Along with the 20 full size pages, there are two pages at the end of the book which include four bookmark size designs each for more coloring fun. In addition to these 22 pages of designs, there are sample pages from several other Mindful Coloring books as well.

This is what I experienced when coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will include a list the coloring medium I used for testing and which I also use for coloring.

20 Full Page Halloween designs in Kawaii style plus bonus pages

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, slight rough, white and non-perforated

Glue bound

Designs do not merge into the binding area and have a framing line around the outer edge

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through. Water-based is more spotty while alcohol-based flow through rapidly.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you apply multiple layers.

Colored pencils work well. I tested both oil and wax-based and had good results with both. I was able to lay down good color, layer the same and multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style blender. Hard lead pencils can leave dents through the paper.

I use a blotter page of card stock to keep seeping ink and dents from damaging the pages below my working page. A couple of pages of heavyweight paper works well, too.

SpongeBob’s Very Grown-Up Coloring Book (SpongeBob SquarePants) (Adult Coloring Book)

By: Random House

Rating: 4 of 5

I have been a fan of SpongeBob over the years and was excited to see a coloring book being released for adult colorists. The reality was a little disappointing in that of the 47 design pages, at least 24 pages were in a repeating wallpaper style of design. Of those, a number were done in a very small and intricate style which will make it more difficult to color. I would have preferred a mix of more designs and less repeating designs or at least bringing up the size of some of those tiny ones to a size that makes it easier to see and to color. Because of this, I find I like the book but don’t really love it.

I really like the regular design pages and those will probably be the ones that I will color. Not sure if I will ever make my way to the wallpaper designs but time will tell.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used for testing this book and which are also the ones I usually use for coloring my projects.

47 SpongeBob Squarepants Designs (plus title page)

Printed on one side of the page with a quote or saying on the back of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, non-perforated

Glue Bound

Designs merge into the binding area

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by breaking or creasing the spine heavily.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper. If you use this style of marker, I suggest using a blotter page under your working page. I use card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper as my blotter.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens do not bleed through the paper.

Colored pencils work very well with this paper. Both oil and wax-based pencils worked equally well. I was able to layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style stick blender.

Fairies & Friends: Enchanting Fairies and Friends to Color

By: Barbara Lanza

Rating: 5 of 5

I have several coloring books by Barbara Lanza and really enjoy the beautiful and elegant fairies who inhabit the world of her imagination. Fairies and Friends in the second book in her new fairy series. The first book, which I also own, is called Fairy Lane. In the new book, Ms. Lanza continues to populate this world with her beautiful creatures.

There are 25 new designs in this book. The designs have a really nice level of detail but are not overly intricate. Some of the designs are focused on a foreground imagine while others are fully illustrated with a background as well. In most of the designs, there is a fairy and its animal friend, such as a cat, a bird, a dragonfly, a squirrel, or even another fairy.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and while testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used to test this book and which I use for most of my coloring.

25 Fairy and Friend Designs

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated

Glue Bound

Most designs merge into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper readily

Water-based markers bleed through in spots

Gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you use multiple coats.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. It is slightly rough and has enough tooth to get good pigment from both oil or wax based pencils. I was also able to use both to layer colors and to blend easily using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the page.

I use a blotter of card stock or heavy weight paper with this type of coloring book to keep seeping ink or dents from damaging the pages below my working page.

Fantastic Cities: 20 Postcards to Color

By: Steve McDonald

Rating: 5 of 5

I own all three coloring books by Steve McDonald and was happy to find that he had come out with a set of postcards based on his first coloring book Fantastic Cities. In this set of postcards, there are 20 designs from the book but the designs have been sized and cropped to fit the postcards. The designs are very detailed and have many intricate and small spots to color. This set of postcards are a fun challenge but I am using my smallest nib pens and markers as well as my very sharp point pencils to color in it. Because of the small areas to color, this may not be the best choice for anyone who has visual or fine motor issues.

I really appreciate that Mr. McDonald kept to the square format of his books in sizing the artwork for the postcards. It also makes the set of cards very different from others. I’m not sure if regular postal rates will apply because of the change in size ( 6 x 6 inches) but for coloring purposes, I really enjoy it.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this set and testing my coloring medium on the card stock.

20 Fantastic Cities designs sized and cropped to fit postcards

Designs printed on one side of card stock with address/stamp areas on the back of the card

Paper is slightly rough white card stock

Glue bound but in the style of easy to remove pages such as a notepad

Alcohol-based markers had slight bleed-through but did not get to the paper I had below. I would still use a sheet of paper as a blotter below my working page or remove the cards before coloring when using this medium.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through. Gel pens required a little extra drying time.

Colored pencils worked really well with these cards. Most postcards are smooth but this card stock had enough tooth to get good pigment, layering, and blending with ease. Both oil and wax-based pencils worked equally well.

The Aquarium: Marine Portraits to Color

By: Richard Merritt

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the third book by Claire Scully and Richard Merritt. The Aquarium follows in the footsteps of The Menagerie and The Aviary. This latest book is dedicated to marine life, which is at odds with the title. Some of these fish and other marine life are not what I would consider to be in an aquarium (either the small home style or the building dedicated to showing marine life.)

While it is a little disappointing, it isn’t out of line with the rest of the series in style and content. I don’t think the intent was to mislead but rather to have a title consistent in form with the first two books (i.e., places where animals, birds, and/or fish are housed.) On, the other hand, both the product description and the back of the book mention a parrot fish and the book does not contain a design of that fish. This was definitely an error on behalf of the publisher/artist that should have been caught.

The initial line drawings are realistically portrayed but then the inside of the fish and other creatures are lots of doodle style intricate elements. The designs are highly intricate and contained many small and hard to color details. It may not be the best book for those who have vision or fine motor skill issues. For those who like intricate work and marine life, it should be a great book to consider. I will include a full list of the designs included in the comments section below.

The attached cover is beautifully illustrated with coloring and light touches of matte fuchsia and turquoise metallic foil on the front artwork. The paper that is used for this book is a very good quality and would work well if you wish to frame your finished work.

Slight elements of the background design are already colored. While I would have preferred they left that blank, I am okay with the small amount they have colored in this instance. The designs do merge into the binding and you will lose portions of some of the designs if you remove a page at the perforations.

This is what I found in coloring and testing in this book:

31 Marine Life Designs which are very detailed and intricate to color

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is white, heavy weight somewhat smooth, has background slightly pre-colored and is perforated.

Sewn Binding

Book can be opened fairly flat for coloring

Designs merge past the perforations and into the binding area

Alcohol and Water based markers bleed through this paper to some extent (with Tombow brush ends did best with only light spotting to the back of the page.)

India ink left shadows on the back of the page.

Gel pens did not bleed through and did not require extra drying time.

Coloring pencils worked well. Both oil and wax based pencils worked well for good color, layering and blending.

If you use a wet medium with this book, I suggest using a blotter page of card stock or several sheets of paper to keep ink from seeping through the ruining the pages below. You can also simply remove a page from the book before coloring as well.

By: Hanna Karlzon

Rating: 5 of 5

Winter Dreams is my first coloring book by Hanna Karlzon. The book was originally published in Sweden and has now been published in the US. I enjoy seasonal designs, especially those for fall and winter. I lived most of my life in Southern California and did not get to experience a true winter season. Hobbies and crafts such as coloring were my only way of enjoying the idea of snow and winter scenes.

While Winter Dreams is not a Christmas coloring postcard set, there are some designs that evoke the holiday (ornaments and a gingerbread house.) The designs have a lush and ornamental feeling to them. There are some doodle elements but they don’t overwhelm the designs.

Many postcards are sized down designs which are intricate and hard to color. That is not true of this book. It appears that the designs were hand-drawn to this particular scale. The designs are detailed but not intricate. I was able to use my standard coloring medium without having to resort to special small nib pens or ultra sharp hard lead pencils.

This is what I experienced while coloring these postcards and testing the paper with my coloring medium.

20 Winter inspired postcard designs with mailing areas defined on the back of the card

Printed on one side of the card

Paper is heavyweight card stock in smooth ivory

Glue bound but in the style of easy to remove pages such as a notepad

Alcohol-based markers left colorful shadows on the back of the page and had the tiniest bit of spot through. I would put a blotter page of paper under my working page or remove the card from the book to color to keep the designs below safe from the slight possibility of seeping ink

Water-based markers, India ink, and gel pens did not bleed through the card. Gel pens took a little longer to dry than usual.

Colored pencils worked well with this paper. Oil and wax-based pencils worked well with good color, layering, and blending using a pencil style blending stick.

The Splat: Coloring the ’90s (Nickelodeon) (Adult Coloring Book)

By: Random House

Rating: 5 of 5

My kids were growing up in the 90’s and we watched their television shows together. After homework and chores were done, they each got to choose a show to watch and it was pretty much always a show on Nickelodeon. Seeing The Splat coloring book show up was a trip down memory lane for me. Almost all of our favorites are in the book including: Real Monsters, Angry Beavers, CatDog, Hey Arnold, Ren and Stimpy, Rocket Power, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rugrats, and the Wild Thornberrys.

The book includes 47 designs. There seems to have been a team of illustrators as there are several styles. Some of the designs have thicker lines and a more open feel while others have thin lines and are considerably more detailed. I like all of the various styles and levels of detail as it makes the book that much more fun to color.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums. I will list the coloring mediums I used for testing in the comments section below. These are also the materials I use for most of my coloring.

47 Designs based on Nickelodeon cartoon series from the 1990’s

Printed on one side of the page with a quote on the back of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, non-perforated

Glue Bound

Most designs merge into the binding area

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by breaking or creasing the spine heavily.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper. I suggest using a blotter page of card stock or several sheets of paper to keep ink from seeping through to the pages below.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens do not bleed through the paper.

Colored pencils work very well with this paper. I got great pigment from oil and wax base pencils. I was able to layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style stick blender.

Color the Classics: The Snow Queen: A Frozen Fantasy Coloring Book

By: Jae-Eun Lee

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the fifth storybook coloring book I have purchased by Jae Eun Lee. It may be the last in the series but I have hopes that there will be more books from this talented artist in the coming years.

I had some issues with the very first book in the series (Anne of Green Gables.) I felt that it had too many story pages as opposed to coloring pages but each book since then has had a much better mix. This book has the best mix by far.

I also like the way the artist has included parts of the story into the coloring pages rather than taking up a page by itself. While I prefer the design pages, the story pages have very elaborate designs to color as well.

In The Snow Queen, the mix is 17 story pages and 53 design pages for a total of 70 actual storybook pages. There are also four pages of thumbnails of the images and five other pages (preface, forward, and title pages and a page following the end of the story and thumbnails) which have designs that you can color.

The designs are in the same beautiful and elegant style that I have come to expect from this artist. The lines are flowing and the designs are detailed. They are not overly intricate or difficult to color.

The story portion of the coloring book gives a brief synopsis of the story but it would be best to have a story book to read along with as you color the pictures.

This is what I found as I colored in this book and tested my coloring medium on the paper. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I used for testing and which I use for most of my coloring projects.

70 pages of Designs and Story Book Illustrations plus extra pages that can be colored as well

Printed on both sides of page

Pages are heavyweight, slightly smooth and non-perforated

Glue Binding

Some Designs merge into the binding

Some Designs spread across two pages

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. If you use this medium, you will ruin the design on the back of the page.

Water-based markers, gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through. Gel pens do require additional drying time.

Colored pencils did well with this paper. I found that for the most part both oil and wax based pencils worked well for good pigment and layering the same or multiple colors. My one issue was that neither were great for blending using a pencil style blending stick. The pigment smeared a bit but not as evenly as I would have hoped. Wax-based pencils did better at blending than did oil-based colors but both were acceptable for my use.

Kickin’ It Old School Coloring Book (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) (Adult Coloring Book)

By: Random House

Rating: 5 of 5

When my late son was a little boy, he loved TMNTs. When I would read to him at bedtime and later, when he was reading to himself, he would invariably choose one of the TMNTs comic books. Because I was the type of parent who got involved with what my kids read and watched, I also became a big fan. When I saw that an adult coloring book was available, I bought it immediately. My grandson is now getting into TMNTs and I will love coloring this book to give to him. I’m getting a second copy to hold onto for him to color in when he gets a little bit older as well.

The coloring book has 47 pages of designs (not including the title page which can also be colored.) It appears like the designs have been done by a group of artists as there are several distinct styles from clean, black lines to an almost pointillism, old-style comic book dot style. The designs are fun and easy to color but some have a lot of black accents. The designs are of both the old-style and the newer style TMNTs.

Another fun part of the book is that on the back of the preceding page (directly opposite the design) is a quote that meshes great with the design you are coloring. After coloring in this book, all I can say is Cowabunga!

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums. I will list the coloring mediums I used for testing in the comments section below. These are also the materials I use for most of my coloring.

47 Designs (plus title page) of TMNTs fun

Printed on one side of the page with a quote on the back of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, non-perforated

Glue Bound

Most designs merge into the binding area

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by breaking or creasing the spine heavily.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper. I suggest using a blotter page of card stock or several sheets of paper to keep ink from seeping through to the pages below.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens do not bleed through the paper.

Colored pencils work very well with this paper. I got great pigment from oil and wax base pencils. I was able to layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style stick blender.

Spiritual Refreshment for Women: Everyday Blessings Coloring Book (Color Yourself Inspired)

By: Compiled by Barbour Staff

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of 46 different designs by a team of designers (Traci Bixby, Elisa Paganelli, Carol Robinson, Emma Segal, and Nicky Storr) which focuses on Biblical blessings. The translation used for this coloring book is the New Life Version. This puts the quotes into everyday, modern language. The basis of the book is definitely Christian and I appreciate it for that reason as well as the fun and easy to color designs. The book is printed 8 x 10 inches with perforated pages so it should be easy to remove pages for framing should you wish to do so.

The designs are very pretty but for me, the pages with quotes and sayings are what are most important. The book is divided pretty much into thirds with 16 designs with inspirational sayings, 15 designs with Biblical quotes, and 15 stand-alone designs. With the sayings and Bible quotes, the words are very much front and center. They are the focus of the design and the other elements are there to support them.

The designs have a nice level of detail without being intricate. Except for some of the fonts on words, I didn’t need special nibs or pencils to color the design. I will probably leave the tiny spots on the words white rather than try to color them with a tiny nib gel pen or an extra sharp pencil such as Verithins.

For my first projects, I used alcohol-based markers and I plan to also use colored pencils with this book as well. I found that the designs an hour or more to finish but mostly because I was stopping and contemplating the words as I was coloring.

This is what I found as I colored in this book and testing the paper with my various coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will include a list of the coloring medium I use for testing and which I generally use for my coloring projects.

46 Various Designs with a fairly even mix of Sayings, Bible Quotes, and Designs without words

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.

Glue Binding

A few designs cross over the perforations but nothing essential to the design will be lost if you remove a page from the book.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through rapidly on this paper

Water-based markers and India ink pens bleed through in tiny spots with the exception of brush end Tombows which did not bleed through at all.

Gel pens left colorful shadows on the back of the page.

Colored pencils work very well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils and had good results with both. I was able to layer the same color to a deep pigment, layer multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style blending stick.

I used a blotter page below my working page to keep ink from seeping into the the page(s). I use card stock for this purpose. You can also remove pages from the book before coloring to keep the rest of the book in good shape.