iiiiReader Book Reviews

Shanti Sparrow: Colorful Creatures Coloring Book

By: ?

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a fun to color animal designs coloring book. The designs are based on the original artwork of Shanti Sparrow and have been translated into line drawings in a well-thought out manner. The shading of the original artwork is replaced with doodle elements in the coloring book. There are lots of animals, including: birds, turtle, fish, elephants, fox, giraffes, owls, hippo and more.

Thumbnails of the original colored designs are printed in glossy prints on the inside of the front and back covers. It’s nice to see what the artist original had in mind but I generally color my coloring books to suit my color mood.

This is what I experienced in coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use to test with and which I use most of the time to color my projects.

22 Animal Designs with some doodle style areas to color

Designs are printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, slightly off-white, slightly rough to the touch and is non-perforated

The book is bound by two heavyweight staples. These can be removed fairly easily to release all of the page from the book without any loss of design. There is also plenty of room to cut a page out if you choose to do so.

Designs do not merge into the binding area and each design has a framing line on the outer edge.

Book easily opens to a flat position for coloring.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper easily. I use a blotter page of card stock under my working page if I use markers in this book.

Water-based markers leave shadows and slight spots of color bleed through on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through the page.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. The paper has just a slight roughness to it that allows good pigment coverage from both oil and wax based pencils. I was able to layer same color and multiple colors and to blend easily as well.

Janelle Dimmett: Fun & Fantasy Coloring Book

By: ?

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my second coloring book by Janelle Dimmett. In this book the designs are mostly animals but there are a few fanciful designs that are flowers, cupcakes and other cute non-animal designs. The book is published by Pomegranate and is made to their usage high standard. The designs are nicely hand-drawn and are detailed. A few of the designs have more intricate small parts to color but for the most part, I won’t need any sort of special markers or pens to color in this book.

Thumbnails of the original colored designs are printed in glossy prints on the inside of the front and back covers. It’s nice to see what the artist original had in mind but I generally color my coloring books to suit my color mood.

This is what I experienced in coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use to test with and which I use most of the time to color my projects.

22 Fun Animal and Fanciful Designs

Designs are printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, slightly off-white, slightly rough to the touch and non-perforated

The Designs are bound by two heavyweight staples which can be removed to release all of the page from the book without any loss of design.

Designs do not merge into the binding area

Pages can be cut out if you wish without losing any design elements.

Book easily opens to a flat position for coloring.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper easily.

Water-based markers leave shadows and slight spots of color bleed through on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through the page.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. It has a slight roughness to it that allows good pigment coverage from both oil and wax based pencils. I was able to layer and blend easily with both as well.

Color Crush: An Adult Coloring Book, Premium Edition

By: Paige Tate Select

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the premium edition of Color Crush. I don’t own the original version on the thinner paper so I cannot compare it specifically; however, I do own some of the other coloring books by this publisher in the old-style paper. There is a huge difference in the quality and the thickness of the paper. The Premium version is much thicker and has perforated pages as well. The larger designs will fit an 8 x 10 inch frame and the smaller designs will fit a 5 x 7 inch frame.

The design images are licensed via Shutterstock. I’m not sure if Paige Tate & Co. added the wording or if that was part of the licensed product. In any case, the words fit well with the designs.

The book is filled with inspirational messages, such as: Dream Big, Get it Girl, Strut Your Stuff and much more. The designs are cute and, in the larger size, don’t have tiny spaces to color. The smaller, sized-down images do have smaller spaces, so you might need to use ultra-fine markers and pens and sharp pointed pencils to finish those designs.

This style of design is usually a fairly quick project for me to color. The designs are fairly easy to color and the words take the prominent place in the design. I like to color this style of design as a quick gift for someone. It’s really nice that these fit well in standard size frames for gift-giving.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will include a list of the coloring medium that I used for testing this book and which I usually use for most of my coloring as well.

28 Full Page and 18 smaller inspirational message designs

Printed on one side of perforated, white, slightly rough medium weight paper

Designs do not merge into the binding area

Glue Binding

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper. I use a blotter page of card stock or heavyweight paper when using this style of marker. It keeps ink from seeping through and ruining the next design. You can also simply remove the design at the perforations prior to coloring.

Water-based markers left shadows of color on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens left indistinct shadows on the back of the page

Coloring pencils work well with the paper. Both oil and wax based pencils work equally well providing good color, layering (both same and different colors) and blending well with a pencil style blending stick.

You should note that the smaller format designs are on a perforated page; however, you will need to cut the two apart for separate use (cutting line is included.)

I was provided a free copy of this coloring book for test and review purposes.

The Chronicles of Narnia Official Coloring Book

By: C. S. Lewis

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really lovely storybook collection based on all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Those include: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. As the coloring book is slightly longer than average size and there are seven books covered, each is only touched on lightly. The coloring book can be used as an fun addition while you are reading the stories but it does not replace them.

The designs are based on the original artwork by Pauline Baynes from the books written and published in the 1950’s. In some cases, the artwork has been turned into what I call wallpaper style designs with repeated patterns.

The designs include considerably more black in shading than usual for coloring books. That is because the original artwork was just that artwork and not coloring designs. I’ve found that utilizing the black as shading is what works best for me with this type of design. I’ve run across it before when original artwork has been presented in this format.

On a personal note, the designs bring back memories from my own life. I was a big fan of these books as a child and I would read them over and over again. Once I had children, I would read books to them before bedtime each night and this was a favorite, especially of my late son. He also would read the books over and over again on his own.

I am now looking forward to reading them to my grandchildren and I will now also have a book of designs that I have colored to go along with them. I will admit that coloring these designs is a bittersweet experience as I spend as much time thinking of my son as I do in coloring.

This is what I found as I colored in this book and tested the paper with my coloring medium. I’ll include a list of my coloring medium, which I use for tests and for coloring, in the comments section below.

96 pages of Designs based on original artwork from The Chronicles of Narnia

Printed on both sides of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth and non-perforated

Glue Bound

Many Designs merge into the binding area

Some designs spread across two pages with integral parts merging into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

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

Colored pencils worked well with the paper. I was able to get good color with multiple layers of the same shade. I was also able to layer multiple colors and blend well using a pencil style blending stick. Both oil and wax based pencils worked well.

Fantastic Collections: A Coloring Book of Amazing Things Real and Imagined (Fantastic Cities)

By: Steve McDonald

Rating: 5 of 5

I own both of Steve McDonald’s first two coloring books and have enjoyed coloring in them. I immediately pre-ordered Fantastic Collections as soon as I saw it was available. The groupings of collections are quite interesting. Some things, such as oil cans, toy horses, locks, and even typewriters are familiar to me. Others are definitely new, such as Japanese cleaning supplies and chainsaws.

Most of the designs are presented straight-forward but a few are also interpreted into mandala style format and those become beautiful abstract designs that will be a lot of fun to color.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. I will provide a list of the coloring medium I used for tests and which I use for coloring as well. You will find the list in the comments section below.

58 Pages of Designs based on a wide variety of Collectibles

Printed on both sides of white heavyweight, smooth, non-perforated paper

Sewn Binding

Designs do not merge into binding area

Book can be opened to a flat position

Alcohol-based markers bleed through page. Using these will ruin the design on the back of the page.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink artist pens do not bleed through or leave color shadows on back on page. Gel pens required additional drying time.

Coloring pencils work well with this paper. I used both oil and wax based pencils for good pigment, layering multiple colors and blending using a pencil style blending stick.

Doctor Who Travels in Time Coloring Book

By: Price Stern Sloan

Rating: 5 of 5

Attached to this review will be a silent flip-through of the entire coloring book so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it will work for you. I will also include a few sample photos of designs pages from the book as well.

I reviewed the UK version of this book here on Amazon in May of this year. At the end of this review, I will discuss the differences between the two versions. The video and photos on this review will be of the US version only, except for the one which I will show comparing the two versions paper color.

Once again, rather than discuss how this coloring book is like or different from TV series or to compare any of the Dr. Who actors and casts, I will discuss only how I feel about it as an adult coloring book.

As with the first Dr. Who coloring book, I really like the illustrations. I have found that I actually like these designs in this book even a little better than the first book. This is because I found these scenes to be a little more interesting and fun to color. The designs are by the same team of illustrators who were responsible for the first book, namely: James Newman Gray, Lee Teng Chew, and Jan Smith. There are 45 designs (even more if you count the title and preface pages.)

The episodes included are from 1964 through 2015, so the range of Dr. Who’s represented is good. This time the designs focus on Dr. Who in various time periods including Vikings, ancient Egypt, the Battle of Hastings, with Winston Churchill and even with Shakespeare among many others. The designs are well drawn with clean black lines though it is easy to see that these designs are hand-drawn for the most part as the lines are not perfectly straight. Some designs are fairly open and easy to color while others are more intricate and will be a little more challenging but still a lot of fun.

The book is well made once again. The designs are printed on one side of deep cream colored non-perforated paper. On the back of each page is a thumbnail version of the design along with a quote that is applicable to the design, the name of the episode and the year it was filmed and, in some cases, which Dr. Who it pertains to. The cover can be colored as well and has deep red foil touches which enhance it. The publisher once again missed an opportunity by not providing designs on the inside of the fold-out, attached cover; however, there are two flaps you can color if you wish where the printing is white on red background. The binding is sewn rather than glued, so removing pages is a matter of snipping threads. A good number of designs merge into the binding area so snipping threads may be the way to go if you decide to remove pages.

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

45 Dr. Who Time Travel Designs

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, deep cream color, very smooth, and non-perforated.

Sewn Binding

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. I recommend a blotter page be used under your working page to keep the page below free of seeping ink.

Water-based markers bled through in the tiniest of spots except for Tombows brush end markers which did not bleed through at all.

I recommend a blotter page be used under your working page to keep the page below free of seeping ink.

India ink markers left shadows on the back of the page.

Gel pens did not bleed through but needed extra drying time.

My colored pencils were a little mixed. I was able to get good color and layer the same color and mixed colors well with both oil and wax based pencils. I had a little trouble with blending (using a pencil style blender stick.) The color smeared a tiny bit more than I am used to and that is probably because the paper is very smooth. The pencil did blend but not as well as it did with the British release of this book.

My comparison of the US and UK version is fairly short. They weighed the same and are the same size. They contain the same designs. The differences are slight. The cover of the US version is slightly lighter with slightly darker red foil. The US paper is a much deeper cream tone. Both bindings are sewn but are sewn together on different pages. The biggest differences is in the feel of the paper. The US version paper is much smoother.

I am happy with both but if I planned on doing a lot of blending of pencil or if I wanted lighter paper, I would opt for the UK version. Otherwise, I like both versions.

Mermaid Fantasy: Adult Coloring Book

By: Jason Hamilton

Rating: 5 of 5

I really enjoy coloring Jason Hamilton’s designs. From his first coloring book (Cats and Quilts) to this, Mermaid Fantasy, I’ve found his artwork to be beautiful and fun to color.

I came across Mr. Hamilton’s mermaid designs in his recent contribution to Adult Coloring Book Treasury 2 and was in high hopes that he would soon release a mermaid book. Just a week or so later, here it is. Along with a video and other sample photos from this book, I will include the mermaid that I colored for Treasury 2.

In this book, the focus of the designs is on mermaids. There is a merman and even a human but, for the most part, there are mermaids. There are even a few mermaids with their children.

The designs have a nice level of detail. There is plenty of room for shading or adding your own details, if you wish. The elements on the full size pages are a good size and are not difficult to color with any type of coloring medium that I use. The smaller (4 x 6 inch) versions may require ultra-fine nibs or sharp pencil tips but that is to be expected with a design that has been sized down.

This is what I experienced when I was coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used for testing this book and which I usually use for coloring my projects.

24 Large Mermaid designs with 24 4 x 6 inch duplicate copies

Printed one side of the page

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

Glue Binding

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

Coloring book opens to flat position fairly easily

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

Water-based markers spot through this paper

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink can bleed through if it is applied heavily or in multiple layers.

Colored Pencils work well with this slightly rough paper. Both oil and wax pencils provide good pigment with multiple layers, layer multiple colors well and blend well using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils can dent through to the back of the page.

I use a blotter of card stock under my working page. Several sheets of heavier weight paper work well, too. This keeps seeping ink and dents from messing up the pages below.

Adult Coloring Book: Doodle Explorations (The Peaceful Adult Coloring Book Series)

By: Lei Melendres

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my third coloring book by doodle artist Lei Melendres. I have enjoyed his unusual look at the world both in Doodle Fusion and more recently in Doodle Worlds. In this new book, Mr. Melendres presents a narrative of a doodle world rather than a compilation of doodle designs. In this story, we follow the life of a young doodle creature as it chases after its wind-swept away balloon. There are many adventures to be had, some of which are fun and some of which are challenging. They are all a lot of fun to color.

The designs in this book are quite detailed. Having said that, they are not overly intricate and do not contain a lot of tiny spots. There is simply a lot of detail to color. There are also two double-sided pages at the back of the book for use in determining color palettes. I really appreciate the palette pages as it allows me to test my medium and colors on the exact same paper my projects are on.

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

48 Storybook style doodle design pages plus 2 double-sided color palette test pages

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is medium weight, white, slightly rough and perforated for easy removal

Glue Bound

I can get the book fairly flat for coloring but I did have to crease or break the spine to do so.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper.

Water-based markers leave colorful shadows and tiny spots that bleed through on the back of the page.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the page of the page.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based pencils can lay down good color, layer multiple colors well and blend well using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils can dent through to the back of the page.

I suggest either removing project pages from the book or using a blotter page behind your working page. I like card stock but a couple of sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

Color Cats Book Two – Literary Reference Edition: Coloring Pages for Adults

By: Margaret Gates Root

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my second Cats coloring book by Margaret Gates Root. She has a beautiful knack for coloring cats in poses that bring my own cats firmly to mind. My cats have all passed now but I really enjoy coloring all sorts of cat designs and especially those that make me think of them.

What is fun and special about these kitties is that they are inspired by some interesting sources. They are based on fables, rhymes, fairy tales, and more. As Ms. Root suggests on the back of the book, you can either look to see the inspiration or not peek and try to guess as you go along. I couldn’t help myself I had to peek.

The designs are detailed but without itsy bitsy tiny details. I will enjoy coloring in this book with all of my various medium provided I take the proper precautions to keep the rest of the book in good condition.

The 25 designs are presented in full page, horizontal format but are also provided in slightly larger than thumbnail format at the back of the book where the artist explains the source of her inspiration. Those smaller designs can also be colored but you may need ultra-fine nibs and/or sharp pointed pencils to finish them.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. I will provide a list of the coloring medium I used for testing and which I use for most of my projects. You can find that information in the comments section below.

25 Cute Cat Designs in realistic and believable poses

Printed on one side of the page

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

Glue bound, so you will have to cut pages out if you want to remove them from the book

Designs do not merge into the binding area and have a frame line around the outer edge of the design.

Book opens flat fairly easily for coloring

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper to varying degrees. (Alcohol-based bleed through freely while water-based bleed through in spots.)

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you layer it or use it heavily.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. Wax and oil-based pencils provide good pigment and I can layer and blend well with both. Hard lead pencils (like Verithins) can leave dents on the back of the page.

Because of the bleed through and dents, I always use card stock as a blotter to keep ink and hard lead pencils from marring through the page to the designs below.