A New Breed of Coloring Books

There is just something about coloring books and a fresh pack of crayons that kids find irresistible. But aside from choosing which colors to use, they don’t leave much room for creativity…until now. There has been an explosion of creative coloring books in recent years that leave more of each page open to the child’s imagination. Susan Striker’s Anti-Coloring Book series was a pioneer in this new form of coloring book; the image above is a page from The First Anti-Coloring Book: Creative Activities for Ages 6 and Up. These open-ended coloring books are such a refreshing change from the typical Disney characters, don’t you think? Have a look at a few more:

First up we have Rosie and Flo: this coloring book series by Roz Streeten, including Rosie Flo’s Coloring Book, Rosie Flo’s Animals Coloring Book, Rosie Flo’s Garden Coloring Book (and three more) prompts kids to “Just add heads, legs, and arms” to the fancy dresses and hats on the pages. Let’s take a peek inside:

Did you notice the worms on the dress in the second picture? In Rosie Flo’s Animals, all of the outfits have hidden creatures

I also love the series of “really giant” coloring books by Taro Gomi (beloved author of the eternal classic Everyone Poops), including Scribbles, Doodles, Squiggles, and Doodle All Year. The illustrations are friendly and simple, and each page encourages the child to add something to the picture. Check out this page from Doodles:

And if those options are still too restrictive for you, what about a Bare Book? These come with blank pages inside and a color-able cover. The company also makes Bare Comic Books and Bare Board Games!

You can check out all of these (except the Bare Books – go to their website) in a new Coloring Books section in the Global Mama Shop.

Happy coloring!

Related posts:

1. Etsy Finds Friday {Let’s Go Out & Play!}
2. Childhood Obsessions: The Senses
3. Etsy Finds Friday
4. In The March Book Basket: Welcoming Spring