Mark Making together

I love books, I really do. I love how a book feels and I love books that look beautiful. I was recently sent one such book to review by the team at Michael O'Mara books. 

The Art Therapy Colouring Book really is a beautiful book. It is a hardbook book and it just oozes appeal as soon as you pick it up. Taking a look through there are some stunning pictures in there to colour in, or to add your own doodles to.

Beautiful picture to colour in

Add you own doodles

The paper in the book is really good quality, and I almost didn't want to begin to make my mark for fear of ruining it! The blurb that accompanies this book states that:

Readers can start to relax with this sophisticated anti-stress colouring,doodling and drawing book'

And I can genuinely say it really is therapeutic! Daniel has been under the weather the past few days, I'm not sure if it's teething related or something else, but today when he came to me with his colouring book I thought I'd take the opportunity to sit down and have a go at this book.

I'm not a natural doodler, it's not something I suppose that comes easily to me. However I spotted a picture I thought I could add my mark to... the black lines were already there in the book, the coloured lines are my addition.

I did find this very relaxing. Daniel was sat next to me colouring the book that he had been sent, and it was nice to pass the time together doing a similar activity.

Daniel was sent the Diggers & Tricks colouring book by Buster Books; he has really got into mark making over the past six weeks or so, and this is a book he brings me time and time again. Often when Emma is taking her morning nap he will bring me this book and sit and draw for a while.

Again, the paper is really good quality and there are some brilliant images in there to colour. What I enjoyed about this book was that I was able to talk to Daniel about the pictures, there was plenty going on in each one for us to chat about, and for him to point out to me. 

We had great fun counting the stars on this page and talking about what we could see (well, Daniel pointing things out and me explaining what they are!). 

As he wasn't feeling great this afternoon we spent a good hour this colouring and drawing together whilst Emma snoozed. It was good to find something to occupy him and take his mind off whatever has been bothering him and to also have that time together, engaged in a joint activity, Daniel was watching as I coloured my pages and he copied the motion of my arm - realising that he could make longer and shorter lines.

He has also been very keen to join in with my Art Therapy book too - but less keen for me to join in with his book..... he pushed my hand away when I tried to join in and colour in the bear on the page below!!

Mark making and colouring is such a good way for children to express themselves, so it's brilliant to have a grown up version to do alongside your child.

Both the books that we were sent are brilliant quality and the pictures in both provide plenty of talking points; especially the diggers and trucks one. All too often kids colouring books are made on thin paper meaning that colours bleed through to the image on the reverse.This is not the case with this book from Buster Books. Also, the pictures are interesting and engaging and fuel a young child's imagination - it's not every colouring book that has a snowman driving a snowplough in or bears and frogs sat together!

The Diggers & Trucks colouring book that Daniel was sent is available here at Amazon for £5; perhaps more than you might spend ordinarily but certainly a book to buy as a gift or to put on a wish list (and I have in fact bought other Buster Books colouring books as gifts).

The stunning Art Therapy colouring book is available here on Amazon. It's currently, at the time of writing, available for
£8.96; the usual price is £12.99. It is probably one of those books to add to a wish list or to buy as a treat - it really really is gorgeous and incredibly therapeutic to spend some time doodling and exploring the intricate images - and I've just spotted another book in the same series that has promptly gone on my own wish list for when it is published later this year! 

If you like this idea, then why not pin for future reference?

Daniel and I were sent one copy of each book to colour in and review; all words and opinions are my own

I'm thrilled that I have been asked to host a giveaway for these books. To enter, please complete the RaffleCopter below. The giveaway will end on 21 July. Two winners will be selected at random. The first will be sent a copy of the Art Therapy book, the second a copy of the Diggers & Trucks book.

Open to UK entrants only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway