Let's color!
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book by illustrator Johanna Basford is the coloring book that without a doubt launched the Adult Coloring Book craze which took the world by storm just last August. Published by Laurence King, this coloring book for adults has been making waves and already sold over 2 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling books on Amazon to date. I've been bitten by the same bug and got my daughter (I haven't got time to venture into coloring yet, maybe next year? haha) copies of this very book, in Chinese and recently in English, both from Teeter Toddlers, story here. Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore, and this book proves that.
It's not just a coloring book, but an inky treasure hunt, as written on the cover. This is due to the fact that each illustration features hidden creatures and curiosities of all kinds to be discovered. The book starts off with a list of things to be found plus a key and index which are included in the back, it's like an eye spy for adults. There are 63 beetles, 20 songbirds, 116 butterflies, a shark and so much more. All 96 pages of the book are in black and white, bare for each of us to embellish in color or even more black as some would prefer.
Scottish illustrator, Johanna Basford was approached by Lauren King Publishing after seeing her works which are widely recognized and can be found in products such as wallpapers, beer bottles and even tattoos. DKNY, H&M, Hallmark, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Sony Music, Sony Playstation, Starbucks, and The Body Shop are some of her clients. She believes that computer generated graphics can feel cold and soulless whereas hand drawing captures a sense of energy and character which no pixel can ever replicate. Basford’s second title, Enchanted Forest (also published by Laurence King Publishing) which I already have a Chinese version of, has also sold over 2 million copies worldwide. I'm planning to purchase an English one of course and cannot wait to get my hands on the third one, Lost Ocean, an Inky Adventure and Colouring Book' which will be published by Penguin Random House and released this October 2015.
There are definitely a lot of adult coloring books out but this one sure is one of the best! Get yourself a copy of Johanna Basford's Secret Garden and tumble down the rabbit hole and find yourself in her inky black and white Wonderland like Miss Arsty and I did!
