SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Pearl's & Ruby's
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

March 11, 2009 by Travis Jonker

Book Review: The Coloring Book

March 11, 2009 by Travis Jonker   6 comments

coloringbookcov

The Coloring Book
By Hervé Tullet
Tate (Abrams)
ISBN: 9781854378491
$18.95
Grades K and Under
In Stores

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

*Best New Books*

Warning: This is a coloring book. An awesome coloring book, true – but definitely a coloring book. Just wanted to make that clear for those working in school and public libraries.

Is the world ready for a coffee table-worthy coloring book? Well, that’s what we have on our hands here. Inventive, beautiful, and inspiring, it stands head and shoulders above the traditional. The Coloring Book should be given out with vaccinations. While not suitable for a library collection, Tullet’s book is an unquestionably wonderful choice for the children you know.

When you title your coloring book “The Coloring Book” you’d better create something definitive. No disappointments here. In appearances, The Coloring Book is one man going wild with a Sharpie. Full of doodles, activities, designs, and full-blown original characters, it makes you begin to wonder why all coloring books can’t be like this. Each turn of the page uncovers something that kids won’t be able to resist.

Tullet has created a long line of coloring and activity books for both French and American audiences. This is his forte, and it shows. He has a knack for turning the ordinary into something special. Take for example, the page at the beginning of the book with three overlapping oblong areas labeled yellow, red, blue. The text encourages readers to “See what happens when you mix the colors”. A simple, instructive, fun way to start out a coloring book. The pages that follow are full of these moments that encourage interaction and creativity.

Beautiful to look at, fun to use. Clear space on the coffee table.

Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

A Fuse #8 Production

2026 Newbery/Caldecott Summer Prediction Edition

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

Our Mock Newbery List is Up to 52 Titles

by Steven Engelfried

Politics in Practice

When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?

by John Chrastka

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Teen MakerSpace: DIY Color Your Own Stickers, Low Tech

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Yarn

How Colby Sharp Celebrates Reading with Students

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Best Nonfiction Elementary 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Best Nonfiction Middle to High School 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Best Young Adult Books 2024 | SLJ Best Books

SLJ’s 2024 Best Books Cover Unveiled. Download a PDF of the Full List.

Best Picture Books 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn Rutan says

    March 11, 2009 at 8:04 am

    This is awesome, thanks! I ordered two of these immediately.

  2. Amy Planchak Graves says

    March 11, 2009 at 9:48 am

    I wonder if something cool (maybe even explosive) would happen if I put it on my coffee table next to my copy of Susan Striker’s Anti-Coloring Book…

  3. Elizabeth says

    March 14, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    Is it bad that I kind of want this for myself?

    I’m about 20 years older than what I’m presuming is its target audience, by the way.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books 2024
    • 2024 Stars So Far
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Pearls & Rubys
    • Politics in Practice
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • Reasons to Love Libraries
    • 2025 Youth Media Awards
    • Defending the Canon:SLJ & NCTE Review 15 Banned Classics
    • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Read Free Poster
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2025


    COPYRIGHT © 2025