I really enjoyed the World Traveler Coloring Book and I think it would work well for all ages. I loved how the artist embellished famous landmarks with design elements and encourages us to add our own in there, too. They offer several examples of how the page can be colored in vivid ways using gel pens, markers, water colors or whatever you have on hand. On the back of every easy to tear out page is an insightful quote about travel and a quick fact about the landmark on the other side.

As a designer myself, I read and reread the information at the start of the book about color and patterning theory and techniques with great interest. I’m very familiar with the concepts, but these were presented in a particularly concise and clear way. I’m sharing this book with my children as a learning opportunity and also to promote creativity. It’s also one of my personal favorites!

Mandalas are very compelling to me personally, I love the ideas they represent as a “sacred circle” of life and wholeness. I thought they were an ideal choice for this type of grown up coloring book. The designs in Creative Coloring Mandalas seem centered around nature, as are the interesting quotes included on the back of each page. When I focused on the designs, I could see flowers, leaves, shells and other natural objects.

I primarily use colored pencils to color these and then I like to accent the designs with gel pens (usually black and white ones). I like how they included several gorgeous versions of the designs all colored in by an artist. It was especially helpful for me to see how she shaded the designs and they even list the drawing materials that she used to do so. I would definitely suggest getting this excellent book for taking breaks and relaxation.