iiiiReader Book Reviews

Kaleidoscope Wonders | Color Art for Everyone – Leisure Arts (6707)

By: Leisure Arts

Rating: 5 of 5

This adult color book lives up to its name, “Kaleidoscope Wonders – Color Art for Everyone.” The images are very reminiscent of that which I would see through a kaleidoscope when I was a child. I remember that magical feeling of shifting and changing the patterns and the colors and now I can have a similar feeling as I color the various designs in this book. The designs are all supplied by GMC Designs/Shutterstock, Inc. I don’t know if that means there are various designers within those companies or not, but there isn’t a specific artist mentioned.

There are 24 designs, which each of them having a kind of repetitious look – some with centered designs and others with the patterns at a slightly off-angle. Most of the designs are either flowing patterns or flowers but there are also designs that incorporate butterflies, tea cups, sea shells, and hearts. The paper weight is nice and heavy – very much a feeling of premium grade paper. The designs are printed on one side of the page (with the back side blank.) The pages are all micro-perforated so removing them from the book will be easy. The print quality of the design is excellent. I will keep my magnifying lamp handy as some elements of a few of the designs are small and intricate but for the most part, I will not need to use my lamp.

I have had some bleed through of color with my markers and gel pens. Not as much as with some other brands but certainly enough that I would either remove the page from the book or put some freezer paper or heavy card stock between the pages while I am working.

At the front of the book there is a section on understanding colors. There is a color wheel that explains primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and how they are made. It also explains Warm and Cool colors and gives examples of how they can be used within their family or with a mix (Warm Colors, Cool Colors, Warm Colors with Cool Accent, Cool Colors with Warm Accents, Tints and Shades of Red, Tings and Shades of Blue, Analogous Colors, Complementary Colors, and Split Complementary Colors.) This is a wonderful addition to a coloring book as it gives a lot of information for beginners and gives examples in actual color.

Creative Haven Paisley Mandalas: Designs with a Splash of Color (Adult Coloring)

By: Shala Kerrigan

Rating: 5 of 5

“Paisley Mandalas – Designs With A Splash of Color” is a first for me – I’ve never had an adult coloring book which has pre-printed colors in it. Sometimes, the colors are merely the outlines of the design. Other times, color is filled in as part of the design. It is a new experience for me and one that seems to be okay so far. It certainly reduces the amount of time I spend on some of the designs. Of the two styles, only three are not the outline style.

The designs are by artist Shala Kerrigan and I noted that there is a disclaimer on the back of the book that says that the book was previously published as “Paisley Mandalas Coloring Book.” I don’t know if that issue was done in color or not, but if you have it on your book shelf, you might want to check before ordering this book.

The designs are quite pretty and are large and easy to color. I will not be needing my magnifying lamp for this book. I will need to give a lot more thought to the colors I choose as they will need to work with the pre-printed ones. I must admit that of the two styles, I prefer the outline one. It gives me the opportunity to either compliment or contrast my colors against the outline. The three more extensively colored designs leave a lot less for me to decide on.

Creative Haven CityScapes: A Coloring Book with a Hidden Picture Twist (Adult Coloring)

By: Alexandra Cowell

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really great set of 28 city style designs which include one or more hidden images within each design. The cities are from all over the globe. The designs are by artist Alexandra Cowell. There is a fun vibe to each and every one of these designs. They should be a blast to color.

The cities represented ( in order) in this book are: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Edinburgh, Firenze, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Lisbon, London, Hollywood, Marrakesch, South Beach (Miami), New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Sydney, Vancouver, Venezia/Venice. I’ve visited a number of these cities during my lifetime and the ones that I haven’t would be ones that I wish I can visit at some time. Until then, coloring them will be a great first step.

The designs all show a scene depicting something that is generally thought of when considering that specific city. For instance, San Francisco shows Lombard Street with its twisting and turning downhill plunge. Las Vegas shows a bunch of slot machines with a wild sky-scape in the background. London shows the Palace and shopping fun along with umbrellas for the good chance of rain.

At the front of the book, there is a listing of which hidden design features are included and how many of them are spread throughout the book. At the back of the book, there is a key which shows which elements are in each design and where they are located. I would list the hidden elements but I think that would take away the fun of looking for them while you are coloring.