# Where to buy good coloring books?



## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Target has nothing but those Color Wonder sets, with characters to boot. The drugstore was a little better -- they did have plain coloring books, but they were all characters as well. Where can I buy just plain old coloring books, with just _pictures to color_??


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## KimberlyD0 (Mar 8, 2009)

I love colour wonder.. No paint or markers anywhere but the paper







:

I have gotten a lot of plain colouring books at the dollor store. They even have jumbo ones here.

I've also gotten a lot online, if you do a google search many will come up.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KimberlyD0* 
I love colour wonder.. No paint or markers anywhere but the paper







:

I have gotten a lot of plain colouring books at the dollor store. They even have jumbo ones here.

I've also gotten a lot online, if you do a google search many will come up.

I like Color Wonder to, but not to the exclusion of everything else. I'm surprised that Target doesn't have a _tiny_ bit more variety -- it's just Color Wonder and those felt thingies that I've never used. Oh, and enormous coloring pads that are like 1.5 feet by 2.5 feet -- not exactly portable!

I'll see if I can find a dollar store near me and check it out.


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## Tjej (Jan 22, 2009)

I was going to say dollar store too. Although, I wonder if there are some at Target and you're just looking in the wrong area? Like they might be on an endcap in the toy area instead of in the markers/crafts area... I am just saying that because I'm surprised that Target doesn't have anything, but I would think if they had any they would be character ones anyway.

Tjej


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tjej* 
I was going to say dollar store too. Although, I wonder if there are some at Target and you're just looking in the wrong area? Like they might be on an endcap in the toy area instead of in the markers/crafts area... I am just saying that because I'm surprised that Target doesn't have anything, but I would think if they had any they would be character ones anyway.

Tjej

The same thing just occurred to me -- I wonder if I should look in the book section instead of just the activity section. I'm going to feel stupid if there's a big selection of nice coloring books in the book or toy section!


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## Dena (May 29, 2006)

Come to think of it, I think I _have_ seen some at Target in the toy section. Sometimes the craft stores have them too. Oh, or the drug stores - Walgreen's comes to mind, if you can stand going in there (the place just about gives me hives, not sure why).

But I would cast another vote for the dollar store. Dollar Tree in particular if you have one available. We have found some nifty activity books there too, along with all sorts of awesome craft supplies. And really you can't beat the price!


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## ewe+lamb (Jul 20, 2004)

Not sure of the age of your kids but Doodle Design has some great colour books, it's a UK based company but I'm fairly sure you'd be able to find some or at least contact them they have no 'character' based stuff at all, but unless they've brought out a younger version of the one we have it may be a bit too old here's their website anyway www.holland-publishing.co.uk - they may be able to point you in the right direction.


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## birdie22 (Apr 1, 2005)

Target does carry them with the children's books. They are basically the same ones as the dollar store. Nice, cheap, books of whimsical pictures with no branding.

For a special treat, craft stores like Michael's carry Dover coloring books, which are amazing.


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## cherimoya (Mar 23, 2008)

dollar store.

If you're looking for something special and different then I recommend looking up park-bookstores. For example, here is a colouring book I'm going to get my ds from my FAVE park - http://store.algonquinpark.on.ca/cgi...ark/00142.html

My Mum gets ds beautiful bird and animal books from parks in Australia - very cool.


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

Right here. Google coloring books, print them out on your printer. I have all sorts of coloring books I have downloaded the images, printed out and stapled them together by theme - animals, letters, abstract, spiderman, Cars.... (we don't mind characters here) and then wrap them and give them to DS and DD. Total cost probably 5 cents per book for the paper and toner.


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

:


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

I also like the dollar store. Their colouring books usually have simple pictures, are not character based, and they're cheap. We have a very nice BBC Planet Earth colouring book. It was a gift though. As nice as it is, the kids don't really get any more out of it then they do the cheap colouring books.

When I find a colouring book I like, I often scan the pages and just make colouring sheets for the kids on the computer.


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## sept04mama (Mar 3, 2004)

This is a little more- but I was at a nice toy store the other day and picked up a few for DS for Easter. They had regular, but he's really left brained, so I got him a color by letter and a dot-to-dot/maze/color by number one. They had tons and they were 3.50 each, so not bad.

I wish it wasn't already wrapped or I'd tell you the brand.


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## Tiffany_PartyOf7 (Mar 1, 2009)

We find our coloring books at the Dollar Tree or at Target in the books section (near the childrens books and learning workbooks)


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## Biscuits & Gravy (Jul 17, 2008)

The dollar section at Target seems to have non-character coloring books often. And ditto the online idea, you can find tons of things to print out.


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## Literate (Jan 4, 2006)

For a real treat: http://www.susanstriker.com/anticoloring.html


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

This may be more advanced/complex than you are looking for, but Dover Coloring Books are amazing:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...+coloring+book


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TiredX2* 
This may be more advanced/complex than you are looking for, but Dover Coloring Books are amazing:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...+coloring+book

Those are beautiful -- I kind of want some for myself!

Thanks so much for all the input -- I feel so silly for not checking by the books at Target. I just figured they'd be by the crayons for some reason.


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## Kristine233 (Jul 15, 2003)

We get ours from the Dollar Store but Target has lots too. You have to go to the book section of the store for a better selection. Skip the arts and crafts adn toy area for coloring books.


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## Dena (May 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *limabean* 
Those are beautiful -- I kind of want some for myself!

Thanks so much for all the input -- I feel so silly for not checking by the books at Target. I just figured they'd be by the crayons for some reason.









Well, why on earth would they put coloring books next to the crayons? First, that would make waaay to much sense. Second, you could just run in and get what you need in one department, and wouldn't have the joy of dragging your kids through the store, past the toy section and video games and the books and....


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *limabean* 
Target has nothing but those Color Wonder sets, with characters to boot. The drugstore was a little better -- they did have plain coloring books, but they were all characters as well. Where can I buy just plain old coloring books, with just _pictures to color_??

Where in CA are you?

Do you have Half Price Books? They have tons of coloring books; licensed and non-licensed.

How about a Babywearing Coloring Book?







:


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

i spend a little money on colouring books. i get the dover kind ones. not sure if they ARE dover or not. some of them are on translucent sheets that you use markers to colour and you can put them up in your windows.

we dont have many colouring books. but we have some.

and oh yes i do hand made colouring books too. family members used to take a sketch books and draw pictures that my dd loved colouring. i have even had the members of the retirement community volunteer to draw for dd when she was younger.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

So Target did have a wider selection of coloring book in the book section (duh!), but I didn't buy one. The non-character ones were pretty poor quality, and the paper was poor quality too, like newsprint.

I remember having the best coloring books when I was little, nothing like what I'm seeing in stores lately. I guess I'll just have to order some of those lovely Dover ones to get what I want. Thanks for all the help!


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## abi&ben'smom (Oct 28, 2007)

Check out your local non-bigbox toy store. Ours has some awesome non-disney ones. They are pricey--but worth it. I paid $16 for an oversized, huge one, and it's lasted her about 2 years so far. She will work on it every now and then, for an hour at a time. They are very intricate.


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## Global Mama (Feb 20, 2009)

I totally agree that the coloring books in most stores these days are on poor quality paper and/or are filled with Disney characters. However, if you're willing to order online there are some fantastic coloring books being made now, like Rosie Flo, Scribbles, Doodles, and the Anti-Coloring Book - I actually just did a post on this:

A New Breed Of Coloring Books

Check it out if you're interested








_______________________________________________

My Blog:
globalmama.com
{Green living, parenting, and other good stuff}


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Global Mama* 
I totally agree that the coloring books in most stores these days are on poor quality paper and/or are filled with Disney characters. However, if you're willing to order online there are some fantastic coloring books being made now, like Rosie Flo, Scribbles, Doodles, and the Anti-Coloring Book - I actually just did a post on this:

A New Breed Of Coloring Books

Check it out if you're interested








_______________________________________________

My Blog:
globalmama.com
{Green living, parenting, and other good stuff}

Great post, thanks!


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

Target does have a few activity/coloring books in the dollar section at the front of the store. Sometimes they are branded with characters (like Sesame Street), sometimes not.


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## DaughterOfKali (Jul 15, 2007)

I've seen some 'generic' coloring books at Barnes & Noble but most of them there have licensed characters.

I like my own website for free activity/coloring pages (we will be getting a new & improved website soon which will make finding those pages easier).


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## lawgrrl (Nov 8, 2004)

Here's a novel thought that I feel is worth mentioning...why buy coloring books at all? They are so very limiting when it comes to creativity and imagination. We have always bought blank paper in gummed or spiral-bound tablets or by the ream for DS. It is wonderful to watch as his drawing as evolved over the years without the limitation of coloring "within the lines."


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## DaughterOfKali (Jul 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lawgrrl* 
Here's a novel thought that I feel is worth mentioning...why buy coloring books at all?

It's perfectly fine to have a mix of coloring books and blank pages. I doubt anyone is going to tell a child that she/he can't draw their own picture.
(I'm an artist as well as a teacher. My creativity certainly hasn't been squashed by using coloring books when I was a child.)


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lawgrrl* 
Here's a novel thought that I feel is worth mentioning...why buy coloring books at all? They are so very limiting when it comes to creativity and imagination. We have always bought blank paper in gummed or spiral-bound tablets or by the ream for DS. It is wonderful to watch as his drawing as evolved over the years without the limitation of coloring "within the lines."

Yes, how very novel -- I can't believe I never thought to provide my son with blank paper! His poor stunted imagination.


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## lawgrrl (Nov 8, 2004)

Wow. Daughter of Kali and lima bean, your responses are incredibly defensive and super-snarky. I'm just suggesting that Coloring Books are unnecessary, something that no one had even posited in 30 posts in this thread, which absolutely floored me. I cannot understand why people would want to spend a dime on them.

While you might not feel that you are overtly telling your child that they CAN'T draw their own pictures by giving them Coloring Books, what message do you think you are sending them by telling s/he to FILL.IN.THE.BLANKS. Yes, that's just my opinion, but it is supported by the Waldorf philosophy, as well as other early childhood development and educational philosophies, such as Reggio.

Perhaps instead of exercising your sarcastic muscle, you could explain to me your philosophy about why giving a child a drawing made by an adult and telling the child to color it in is preferable to allowing the child to experiment with their own imagination? Coloring Books amount to busy work in my opinion, not something that enhances a child's development. If merely keeping your child occupied is your goal, so be it, but it isn't mine. I aspire to more.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Removed because it's ridiculous to argue about coloring, of all things.

I'll just say that you're making some wild assumptions, and that your seriousness is out of proportion to the subject matter, and leave it at that.


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## DaughterOfKali (Jul 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lawgrrl* 
Wow. Daughter of Kali and lima bean, your responses are incredibly defensive and super-snarky.

No, my response was just fine.


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## ZanZansMommy (Nov 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Global Mama* 
I totally agree that the coloring books in most stores these days are on poor quality paper and/or are filled with Disney characters. However, if you're willing to order online there are some fantastic coloring books being made now, like Rosie Flo, Scribbles, Doodles, and the Anti-Coloring Book - I actually just did a post on this:

A New Breed Of Coloring Books

Check it out if you're interested








_______________________________________________

My Blog:
globalmama.com
{Green living, parenting, and other good stuff}

Was just going to post that my DD really enjoys the Scribbles & Doodles books.


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## nolansmummy (Apr 19, 2005)

We get all ours at Target. Sometimes the dollar section has ones that "match" the holiday of the time, or else we get them by the books/magazines. We have some character ones, but also some regular animal/generic picture ones.


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## urklemama (May 4, 2003)

Some nice stuff has gotten posted to the livejournal coloring community

http://community.livejournal.com/coloring/

These are very intricate:

http://www.bellerophonbooks.com/shopsys/


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