“It is the childlike mind that finds the kingdom.”
I read that quote last year in an obituary for Charles Filmore, a famous grammatical linguist who devoted his life to breakdown of proper syntax. Prior to that obituary I had no idea that grammatical linguists could even get famous, but there it is. If you devote a life to the rigidness of language you might one day die and people will remember you with a quote about the rejection of rigidness in general; To think think as a child = To succeed as an adult. Interesting, no?
Anyway. All of this is a longwinded way of lending validity to one of my favorite collections: adult coloring books. No, not adults coloring kid’s books. Adult coloring books. These have been around for years but the trend has really kicked up in the last couple of seasons. And I can see why. They’re fun. They’re cheap. They’re great for coffee table candy. And they make an excellent birthday gift! One of my favorite gift ideas for adults/kids-at-heart is a humorous coloring book and a brand new box of 96 Crayola crayons tied off with a big fat bow. Not even the grouchiest left-brain adult can result the siren scent of a jumbo box of crayons.
Yesterday, my friend Heather wrote a post on adult coloring books featuring the mandala series from Wendy Piersall. Interestingly, I had lunch with Wendy a couple weeks ago and I was so engrossed – not just to see her newest mandalas, but to hear about the process of making a coloring book. I had no clue! This has put all kinds of ideas in to my head about making some coloring book pages on my own, but for now, I thought today my be a good time to share a few favorites from my collection. Adult coloring books can be super detailed, but most of my favorites are easy to color. Big. Bold. Dare I say, fat…
Not unlike the ladies of the Advanced Style coloring book, Fat Ladies in Spaaaaace: a body-positive coloring book is unapologetically awesome. It features…you guessed it: fat ladies in space. It’s like a bunch of roller derby gals took over Star Trek; a nerdtastic, sci-fi, space jam of fictional feminist icons.
My favorite from another page, “Chief Communication Officer Ulka Saiph speaks seventeen languages from across three galaxies and knows how to swear in five.”
Just Add Color: Botanicals: 30 Original Illustrations To Color, Customize, and Hang is lovely because it’s printed on thicker perforated paper so you can tear sheets out and paint them and frame the results. Weirdly, the lines are smooth and almost like block prints, so if you color or paint outside the lines it looks better, more artistic, and more interesting. There are several Just Add Color books that follow a similar formula (Folk Art Patterns, Mid-Century Modern Animals, Mid-Century Modern Patterns) that are all terrific.
Lisa Congdon, an incredible artist (if you are Instagram she is a must-follow!) has another book called 20 Ways to Draw a Tulip and 44 Other Fabulous Flowers, which is not a coloring book, but one of those basic how-to drawing quasi-instructional books that are spectacular at releasing that non-intimidating artistic side. If you can doodle, and you own this book, you can draw any flower. Look at these dandelions…
Yeah. You can totally draw those. I promise. This is a fantastic book.
Speaking of fantastic…
I know you have been waiting for this moment. The Gangsta Rap Coloring Book is here! Truth is, I bought this as a stocking stuffer for my cousin but it never made it in his stocking (Sorry Bubba!). If you have a soft spot for 90s rappers, this is the book for you. If you don’t have a soft spot for 90s rappers, that’s cool too, but lighten up. Even my cat loves 2Pac.
And, because you have been searching for that special touch for your Eazy E shrine…
Additional highlights from this genre: Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book and The 1990s Coloring Book: All That and a Box of Crayons (Psych! Crayons Not Included). I for one would like to know when someone going to create the Dawson’s Creek coloring book. That’s going to be a money tree right there that’s what that is. Money tree.
Switching gears, this next one was a gift to me from my friend Karen. Did you even know my boyfriend Benedict has a coloring book?
I know, you’re like, “He’s not your boyfriend. And he has a wife. And a baby.” and I’m like, “NOT IN MY COLORING BOOK HE DOESN’T.”
So that is what I know about that.
Adult coloring books: cathartic, creative, and way cheaper than therapy.
Happy coloring!
Fun tour! I would totally have bought the Gangsta Rap coloring book for someone as a gift and then never given it. Love the Fat Ladies in Spaaaace! book!
Yeah. I have a feeling a bunch of folks buy these intending to give them away but keep them. The secret is to order two!
Please pass the magenta crayon. It’s my favorite! 😉 -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Hiw did I not know of this????!!! Totally stealing your birthday gift idea!!! (And my first one will be my gift to myself!) Lol!
That’s the way to do it Wanda — give to yourself first!
This is so funny because I was inspired after I saw your coffee table adult coloring books to order some on amazon for myself. I always LOVED coloring as a kid and thought “hey why not?” After I got them I started showing them to several friends and had to laugh when my friend’s mom said she’d just bought one too. So glad being an adult doesn’t mean I can’t be a kid sometimes!
Me too!
Whoa…how did you know I was THINKING THIS: “He’s not your boyfriend. And he has a wife. And a baby.” about your boyfriend Ben, even before I scrolled down to your comment??! That is exactly what I thought, same words and everything.
I like this new “thing” with coloring books for grown ups. You’re right–who doesn’t love to color? And with actual Crayola Crayons, not markers, and not RoseArt crayons. Gotta have that funky Crayola smell, or it won’t be worth hanging on the ‘fridge.
Ha! My mind reading skills are as great as my coloring skills! 🙂
“If you devote a life to the rigidness of language you might one day die and people will remember you with a quote about the rejection of rigidness in general.”
After closely examining this statement, I felt like I had to stand up for linguists, English, and Grammar with a capital “G.”
First, the job of linguists is to describe language. They simply report on what they find (which isn’t simple, actually)–they observe and describe. They do not prescribe (that is, they don’t make rules).
So a linguist as a person is not rigid. They’re just describing what’s out there.
However, I’m pretty sure you meant that Grammar itself is rigid, not Charles Filmore. But I disagree with this too. Our language (like every language on earth) changes every day, but the changes are slow (evolutionary?).
Imagine the process every baby goes through when learning to talk — it’s not rigid! It’s amazing and wonderful! I think that’s what the quote is talking about, at least in part.
Anyway, I really want that Benedict Cumberbatch coloring book.
Respectfully, no. Charles Filmore devoted his life to the science of syntax (you can read a little more about him in the link on his name). And while I certainly do not begrudge anyone for fixating on the nuances of language or creating an academic career out of it, to not describe his systemization as rigid would be to not describe water as wet.
I do agree with you though — our language changes every day. Grammatical standards are fluid. No one person has the authority to say what is grammatically correct or incorrect. The more we all embrace language as a form of expression, the better.
One year, during Carnival, we got the “Ray Nagin Coloring Book” as a throw. Amazing. She takes unbelievable quotes from Nagin – and makes fantastical pages of coloring fun. Apparently she made one from George W. Bush quotes that I really need!
I keep meaning to have a coloring party! There are some awesome adult coloring books out there now. I really like “Color Me Fierce” and “Color Me Swoon”!
I got some coloring books and sat down to color. And I realized, I had not colored in a coloring book since I was a little girl. I honestly had a hard time letting go and just having fun with it. I found myself worrying about messing it up, about picking silly colors or making a mistake.
And then I realized that I couldn’t mess it up. I just had to approach it with a childlike mentality, and pick colors I liked. It’s a fun and relaxing activity!
Also I am going to have to find a copy of that Benedict Cumberbatch one for my thirteen-year old daughter, who is absolutely obsessed with him.
I think the link to Wikipedia is to the wrong Charles Fillmore. I found this one through Google, which appears to be the one you are referencing.
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/charles-j-fillmore-1929-2014
Smiles!
Karen D
OOO! I just read my own reference–it ends with this delightful comment:(about Charles Fillmore): When he first came to Berkeley in 1971, he encountered a culture defined by the then-commonplace expression, “Let it all hang out.” His response was to wear a button saying, “Tuck it all back in.”
Peaches how ever did you happen across this guy???
Karen D
Once again I’ve spent a delightful morning with you & a hot cup of tea. You are a guilty pleasure but I can honestly say I learn so much with you! Who KNEW I needed a gansta rap coloring book? Unfortunately, it’s a little over my budget at the moment. But, I did purchase a All-about-the-90’s coloring book as well as a Just Add Color Geometric books. I will put my colored pencils and crayons in a beautiful dish and leave them for my guests to enjoy. You add such joy to my day.
When I was little, my grandma Mary would sit with us and color for hours. She absolutely loved to color. Anything. I wish she was alive because she absolutely would have loved all of these. I think she would have loved the Advanced Style one. She used to call all her friends old ladies, when she was usually the oldest (age wise) of the bunch. Even at 83, she was never an old lady. Maybe it was all the coloring!
Thank you for sharing these. You’ve got me with tears in my eyes.
Absolutely LOVE the fabric you used as a background. Is it a tablecloth? i also see a big box of Crayola crayons in my near future. Magenta, olive, blue violet, copper, gold and silver are my FAVORITES!
I totally buy adult coloring books for people too.
Peaches, I believe you mean Charles Fillmore (double the “l”) here:
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/charles-j-fillmore-1929-2014
Check out this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0399162089/notcot-20
My husband (Andy Jenkins) is included!
xo
So glad I found your blog when I Google “how to remove candle wax from glass containers”.
Look forward to exploring other subjects. Thank you for your time and industry in maintaining this very interesting site.
Glad to have you here, Judith!
This gave me hope. I thought this was the coolest thing since sliced bread here. It’s fun to sit back and color as an adult you get so caught up in responsibilities of life you forget your responsibility to yourself.
I created Color My Flaws Body Positive Adult Coloring Book for that and many other reasons. Love yourself take care of it