Millie Marotta's Animal Kingdom: a colouring book adventure: 1 Paperback – 14 Aug. 2014

Well my book has arrived, OMG it is lovely the front cover is gorgeous and the actual paper thickness is really good ( this is the first book of this sort I have bought so know no different). Picture on each side, seems too good colour in lol. I am more than pleased with this, once I get going I shall post a photo. My imagination is going to run riot with this. Only problem is deciding what picture to do first they are all so lovely. Buy this and you won't be disappointed.Part 2 :- OK...... Not only did I order this book but I also ordered Zen Colouring Animals and bought a Zen Colouring magazine, to say I am disappointed in them is an understatement. As I can now compare this book to others,I can write a 'proper' review, the other books I feel the dwgs are big and bold, more child like than adult, though after a quick flick I did find some 'decent' dwgs, similar to Millie's. This book and the dwgs in it are delicate but detailed and are screaming to be coloured in. So my future purchases and there will more, will be Millie Marotta books. I think to keep me interested more I will have two or three books on the go. But personally if you are just doing research to see what to buy, these are the books to go for. If I could give it more stars I would, but I am limited to 5. But *********** here's a few extra :) .

The Animal Kingdom Colouring booked arrived yesterday from Amazon and it did not disappoint. I am new to adult colouring books and thought I would give it a go seeing as I have a stressful job and basically wanted something to take my mind off work, plus also obtain the feeling that I had achieved something worthwhile and this has really hit the nail on the head. The designs are beautiful and intricate and can by no means be rushed. In approximately 4 hours I had only coloured in approximately one fifth of the design but the results were so satisfying, and my picture now is really coming to life. It is a totally engrossing hobby, and even being a smoker - I did not touch a cigarette during the whole time I was occupied with my colouring in, let alone making a tea or coffee. To go with the book, I purchased 72 oil based coloured pencils. These have worked well - but I can now see the real advantages of using fine tipped pens for absolute precision. The quality of the paper is also good and easy to work with. So my verdict - this is a fantastic stress reliever - you seem to enter a new world where you are very focused and peaceful. If you are a results driven individual like myself, seeing the picture emerge in front of your eyes is very satisfying in every sense. Attention to detail is key and if you take your time, the results are crisp and eye catching. Although I need far more practice as I know there are many talented individuals out there, my first attempt has been included in the attached photo. I would have no hesitation in recommending this lovely book which is so reasonably priced and will last a fair time.

We think this is probably the most beautiful book we have ever seen. The artwork is exquisitely detailed, the paper quality is good and the book is pleasing to handle, the pictures have a gentle, calming feel to them. In fact, it is almost too gorgeous and fills a colouring novice with trepidation and a real fear of spoiling the beauty of Millie's work... So, we are tempted to order a second copy just to keep, at least until our pencilling skills improve! Animal Kingdom is a lovely book whether to colour, as a gift or just to page through and appreciate - each time you pick it up you will notice a detail that you had missed and that is what makes it such a pleasure to own.Edited to add: We did purchase a second copy, from a different seller, this book has the white pages whereas the first copy (from Amazon) is the cream/yellow paper. We definitely prefer the cream although I have seen other reviewers expressing a preference for the white. I wish it was possible to choose because if purchasing as a gift we'd like the cream/yellow pages not the white; the cream has a more expensive look...

This is the first adult colouring book that I have purchased.The paper is smooth, thick and white and the images are amazing!I understand from some of the recent reviews here, that more recently the paper has changed, but I purchased this a year ago when the thick white paper was used.There is a range of different types of picture to colour, as I have tried to illustrate with my photos. Most of them are on single pages, often with similar-but-not-the-same, or related images on pages facing each other. Some of the pictures have less detail, and the user is encouraged to add their own detail A few of the pictures are across double pages, so that part of the picture is in the crease, which I find very annoying.Having not really done any colouring since my school days, I started colouring a picture that I could experiment my technique with!I used the Staedtler 144NC24 Noris Club Colouring Pencils - Assorted Colours, Pack of 24, and found the best results with holding the pencil at an angle to the paper and working in light circular scribbling motions, and building in layers to create greater colour density.As the paper is quite smooth and the pencils are not very soft, the colour applied is not very bold, but as you can see from my photo the result is very colourful, and I have to say I am quite pleased with it, even though I was just experimenting. Using fineliner pens would give a bolder brighter picture, but you would probably not achieve the shading that I have here, but I have not tried that yet with this book.I have also shown a few pictures of some of my favourite pictures in the book, that I will attempt to colour when I think my technique is good enough!