Kid Konnection: Sticker Pictures

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you two activity books that are guaranteed to keep your kids busy this summer.

Summary: Take coloring to the next level with these bright, geometric color-by-number templates of your favorite animals. Sticker Pictures: Animals is filled with 14 simple polygonal images to color. Use the included stickers along with crayons, colored pencils, and markers to fill in each image, and watch your inner artist grow! -- Walter Foster, Jr.

Summary: Take coloring to the next level with these bright, geometric color-by-number templates of your favorite pets. Sticker Pictures: Pets is filled with 14 simple pixel images to color. Use the included stickers along with crayons, colored pencils, and markers to fill in each image, and watch your inner artist grow! -- Walter Foster, Jr.

STICKER PICTURES: ANIMALS and STICKER PICTURES: PETS are terrific craft books that are perfect for kids ages 5 - 8 years old. I know coloring books are all the rage, but I had two kids who hated to color. These sticker books would definitely have been more their speed.

STICKER PICTURES: ANIMALS and STICKER PICTURES: PETS are a great concept in activity books. Basically, these books each contain 14 simple images to "color." And by "color," I mean decorate with stickers. There will be a few spaces left after the stickers are placed to actually color with colored pencils, crayons, or makers.

These STICKER PICTURES book look like so much fun. The ANIMALS book has polygonal images, while the PETS book has pixel images. I think younger kids might appreciate the PETS book more because the graphics all consist of same-sized squares which are easier to decorate -- all they have to do is match the color of the square. The ANIMALS book has different polygon shapes in different colors that are also numbered, so this book requires kids to match the numbers to the picture. (Having said that, the shapes are separated by picture so it's not really all that complicated!)

With summer rapidly approaching, I think these craft books will keep kids entertained for hours! Highly recommended!

Thanks to the Quarto Group for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!


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Review: A Giving Heart

Summary: A beautiful artist-drawn coloring book with Scripture created to encourage, inspire, and delight Christian mothers.

This beautifully rendered adult coloring book will offer Christian moms a perfect way to enjoy moments of peaceful creativity as they color 46 gorgeously intricate pictures and meditate upon God's word. Filled with lovely botanical scenes, charming designs, and intricate patterns, the images and words of this book will remind mothers of their special place in the hearts of their loved ones and the wonderful purpose God created in them. -- Faith Words

Mother's Day will be here before you know it, and I know the perfect gift idea. It's A GIVING HEART: A COLORING BOOK CELEBRATING MOTHERHOOD by Stephanie Corfee, and it's just a beautiful (and thoughtful) sentiment to share with moms.

There are 46 detailed pictures in A GIVING HEART to color complete with different types of flowers, vines, birds, and designs. There are even pages with adorable little houses and coffee drinks. What makes this coloring book extra special (and therefore perfect for mothers) is that there are inspirational messages throughout. Many of the pages include motivational quotations from the bible that celebrate the wonder of being a Christian mother.

A GIVING HEART is absolutely gorgeous. It really is one of the nicest coloring books I've ever seen -- so nice that I was immediately inspired to start coloring a page. I'm obviously not very good, but here's what I've done so far:

There is no doubt that A GIVING HEART would be an extremely thoughtful gift for mothers this upcoming Mother's Day. The book is a beautiful reminder to moms of how much they are valued and loved. Highly recommended!
Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this coloring book.

Review: True Love

Summary: Color your way through a romantic journey with a cow named Lulu as she searches for her true love.

Lulu the cow knows there is a special someone out there waiting for her. With her curious parrot, Nina, at her side, Lulu hits the road to find Mr. Heart—an enchanting adventure filled with strange and wonderful places, unusual new people, and surprising challenges and opportunities. Lulu and Nina must draw out the shy, bashful people who call Hide & Seek Town home, while in Topsy-Turvy Town, they discover a world turned upside-down and backwards.

As they reach their final town, the friends are dazzled by the bright sunshine. In the distance, Lulu spies a bull with a heart shape mark. Could he be Mr. Heart at last? Combining stunning, intricately designed black-and-white illustrations with a unique love story, True Love: A Romantic Coloring Book will enchant readers and coloring enthusiasts. -- Harper Design

Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't really have a post planned today and then I received a copy of the beautiful coloring book TRUE LOVE: A ROMANTIC COMEDY ADVENTURE by Inko Kotoriyama. This coloring book is an adorable story about a cow named Lulu who is lookin' for love!

TRUE LOVE is truly a special coloring book. It has gorgeous detailed black and white illustrations along with a story within its pages. TRUE LOVE begins by showing some ideas about how to use this book. For instance, you can use different art materials as well as differing coloring methods. The book clearly shows how each method (colored pencils, watercolor pencils, and gel pens) would look. For a beginning "colorer" like me, I loved this!

The next page introduces the main characters in the story. Lulu, the cow, is the heroine of the story. Nina is a parakeet who travels with Lulu on her romantic adventure, and Mr. Heart is the bull who might or might not be the bull of Nina's dreams! Then the coloring book provides a page titled, "About the Story," which explains Nina's journey to find Mr. Heart as well as the settings for the story.

And then the story begins! There are dozens of ornate coloring pages full of animals, flowers, and shapes. The drawings are really beautiful and Lulu is just too cute. In addition, there is text explaining the story or the naming the various settings. A pleasant surprise is that there are five puzzles within the story. For example, there are seek and finds, a maze and spot the differences. It really is a very fun coloring book!

If you are looking for a fun gift for Valentine's Day or even Galentine's Day, then look no further than TRUE LOVE!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this coloring book.

Review: Hot Dudes Coloring Book & Giveaway

Summary: In the tradition of Color Me Swoon, an adult coloring book featuring handsome heartthrobs and sexy bad boys.

Handsome heartthrobs and sexy bad boys have stepped out of your fantasies and slipped into the Hot Dudes Coloring Book. Enjoy bringing the men of your dreams to life—in living color! -- Berkley

There is no doubt that coloring books for adults are popular right now, but HOT DUDES COLORING BOOK by D.C. Taylor takes adult coloring to an entirely new level! This coloring book features a wide variety of sexy guys, and I'm pretty sure that there will be one (or more!) that you will find appealing... or at least hilarious!

I think Penguin is absolutely brilliant with the release of HOT DUDES COLORING BOOK this week because it's an ideal gift for Valentine's Day. I'm pretty sure that most men won't be buying their valentines this coloring book, but I think it would make a great present for your girlfriends. If nothing else, it's guaranteed for a few laughs!

I will tell you that if you like to color a lot of ornate drawings than this might not be the coloring book for you. Except for a heavily tattooed back (see front cover), there just aren't a lot of small areas to color. Seriously, there are over 50 men to color in this book, and most have men with very muscular bodies. So if you like to color skin -- or big chests, arms, backs, etc., then you should definitely take a look at this book.

I mentioned earlier that this coloring book is very funny. It definitely takes a tongue-in-cheek look at lots of beef cakes with the sexy poses and corny text. However, I will give the author credit that there is a man (or two or three) in this book for everyone. For example, there is a motorcycle guy, a business man, a swimmer, a lifeguard, and a musician to name just a few. I'm pretty certain you will find at least one man of your dreams between the pages of this coloring book!

HOT DUDES COLORING BOOK is really a lot of fun... even if you aren't into coloring. It's a hilarious coloring book full of "hot dudes," and I dare you not to smile when you flip through it!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this coloring book.

I have a copy of HOT DUDES COLORING BOOK to share with one very lucky Booking Mama reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before February 10th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

Holiday Spotlight: Laurence King Publishing

I have been away from my blog the past week or so, but I'm back today with a selection of fantastic gift ideas from Laurence King Publishing. I have enjoyed looking through all of these books, and I'm pretty sure this publisher has something for everyone on your gift list!

Summary: From the publisher that brought you the hugely successful Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford - this special artist's edition features 20 beautiful, pull-out art prints for coloring in. Colouring fans of all ages will enjoy immersing themselves in a selection of the most popular artworks from the original book, now presented in a new, large-scale format for maximum coloring enjoyment.

Each detailed illustration is printed on high-quality card, and can be removed easily for framing or craft projects. -- Laurence King

A few weeks ago, I reviewed some gorgeous adult coloring books and, in the process, discovered why coloring is such a huge craze. The latest coloring book to catch my eye is SECRET GARDEN ARTIST'S EDITION: 20 DRAWINGS TO COLOR AND FRAME by Johanna Basford.

SECRET GARDEN ARTIST'S EDITION is absolutely beautiful. This new coloring book has twenty of Ms. Basford's most popular artworks from the original SECRET GARDEN book to color, and they are amazing. The book is a little larger than the "typical" adult coloring book (about 10x13 inches), and the pages are extremely thick cardstock quality. The pages are also designed for easy removal so you can frame your latest coloring creation.

As you can see from this picture above, these coloring pages are spectacular. SECRET GARDEN ARTIST'S EDITION would make a great gift!

Summary: Can’t decide what to wear in the morning? Why not mix a punk hairdo with a period dress? The pages of this interactive book (split into four parts) will take you from fashion faux-pas to fabulous in one flip.

From grunge and pirate to disco queen and street style, create over 100,000 of your own fashion fantasies (and nightmares) with this colorfully illustrated and carefully researched flipbook. With magazine-style captions for each outfit there are words to play with too. -- Laurence King

FLIP FASHION DESIGNER illustrated by Lucille Clerc is a terrific gift idea for the fashionista in your life. This book is so much fun and gorgeous too! FLIP FASHION DESIGNER is an interactive book (geared towards adults which is so cool) that allows you to mix and match styles to create a look entirely your own.

Each page of FLIP FASHION DESIGNER is made up of four sections -- head, chest, legs, and shoes. You can flip back and forth between the various designers to come up with a special outfit. As you select different options on the right of each page, you can see the designer and the year on the left. So I guess you could say this book is fun and educational!

I'm not sure that I'm explaining this concept of this book very well, so check out the picture below:

You can make over 100,000 different styles with the wide variety of choices in this book so it will never get old. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the history of fashion!

Summary: Turn your fridge into a polar landscape! Let polar bears roam wild while penguins slide across the ice. Dispatch an icebreaker ship to the remotest corner of the fridge door while killer whales and colossal squid lurk in the chilly waters. From caribous to killer whales, these 40 magnets will make a cool addition to any fridge. -- Laurence King

And last but certainly not least is the fun gift idea FRIDGESCAPES: POLAR FRIDGE MAGNETS illustraed by Caroline Selmes. This boxed set includes 40 magnets so you can create your own polar scene.

This gift set is especially cute, and as a mom, I love that the magnets can be securely kept in a box! I loved the variety of animals including polar bears, penguins, seals, and more. The magnets are a few inches in size so they are not recommended for kids under the age of three.

I think this set of magnets is a fun gift idea. Kids (and even adults!) can use their imagination and create unique polar landscapes.

Summary: Learn about the North and South Poles with this amazing panoramic play scene! Including more than 100 stickers for you to create your own icy scenes with, from sliding penguins to the lion’s mane jellyfish, and from Inuit families to all the different types of snow vehicles. Also included are plenty of fabulous facts to complete your Polar knowledge! -- Laurence King

To complement the FRIDGESCAPES POLAR FRIDGE MAGNETS, you should definitely check out STICKYSCAPES POLAR ADVENTURES. This sticker book has more than 100 stickers so kids can create polar landscapes on a fold-out play scene.

My kids had sticker books similar to this one when they were little and they absolutely loved them!

Thanks to the publisher for providing review copies of these items. I will be back on Saturday with a few special Laurence King kids' books!

Review: The Time Garden & The Time Chamber

Summary: A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock–inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song. Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book.

Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls—all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.

Cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?

The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike. -- Ten Speed Press

You would have to be living under a rock not to notice all of the coloring books that are available for adults. My sister has even jumped on the bandwagon and bought herself coloring books -- she says it's relaxing. Well, I could certainly use a way to relax while watching television in the evening with my family. (I usually bead Christmas ornaments or make scarves!) I'm not really sure I even know how to relax!

So when Ten Speed Press offered to send me a copy of THE TIME GARDEN: A MAGICAL JOURNEY AND COLORING BOOK by Daria Song, I jumped at the chance. This "adult" coloring book is absolutely beautiful. Honestly, I was blown away by Ms. Song's drawings. Just check out two of the pages from this coloring book.

THE TIME GARDEN begins with a short story about a young girl who has an amazing imagination. When her father brings home a cuckoo clock, she decides to check it out. She discovers a little fairy inside the clock and is so startled that she falls flat on her back. After she recovers, she ends up chasing the fairy and discovering new worlds full of beauty and mystery!

I love that THE TIME GARDEN tells a story, first with worlds and then with detailed drawings! The beautiful story makes it perfect for children of all ages and adults, and the various illustrations (some more detailed than others) are guaranteed to keep color enthusiasts busy for some time. I can see why the coloring craze is here!

I had great plans to take pictures of the pages I colored; however, I do have my pride. Since I haven't really colored for almost 40 years, I think I need some practice before sharing my artwork with others. I will tell you that I did find the coloring very relaxing (for the most part -- I am Type A personality after all), and I loved the assortment of illustrations. Depending on my mood and patience level, I could always find a page that I wanted to color.

There is a sequel to THE TIME GARDEN. It's called THE TIME CHAMBER: A MAGICAL STORY AND COLORING BOOK, and I admit that I was thrilled that this book unexpectedly showed up last week! Like THE TIME GARDEN, this book is gorgeous and entertaining.

Summary: This second book in the bestselling Time coloring series features the voyage of a fairy who, when the cuckoo clock chimes midnight, enters the human world. To the tiny fairy, everything seems enormous and magical, from the curtains to the chandelier to a mystical rowboat that takes her further into an inky adventure. With her she packs her favorite items, which colorers can find throughout the book’s pages: an owl-feathered pen, a star-scented spray, a time tape measure…even the key to the time chamber itself!

Filled with the imaginative, intricately detailed illustrations Song’s readers have come to love, The Time Chamber presents a view of our world made new—and ready for coloring.

The Time Chamber features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike. -- Ten Speed Press

Both THE TIME GARDEN and THE TIME CHAMBER make perfect gifts for the holiday season. You will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of these coloring books, with their heavy pages and gold-foil embossed covers (which are removable for easier coloring.) In addition, there is a To/From page in the front which makes it ideal to share with someone special in your life.

I can't rave enough about these two coloring books. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing review copies of these books.