7 coloring books for weird parents raising weird kids
by Joyce Slaton posted in Products & Prizes Coloring is in style for adults or something, but it’s forever been cool for parent/kid combos, who can sit and do something peaceful together. But there’s no reason you have to confine yourself to lame animal or licensed-character themes. Teach your child something about art (or possibly… Read more »
Coloring is in style for adults or something, but it’s forever been cool for parent/kid combos, who can sit and do something peaceful together. But there’s no reason you have to confine yourself to lame animal or licensed-character themes. Teach your child something about art (or possibly about irony) with these groovy books.
1. The Andy Warhol Coloring Book
Introduce your kids to the pop-art master with this 32-page book that makes coloring line art out of such iconic Warhol works as one of his Campbell’s Soup Cans, or French Bulldog. Bonus points if you put on the Velvet Underground’s “Banana” album at the same time you color it. The same company, Mudpuppy, also sells Andy Warhol Soup Can Crayons for $9.99. (Galison, $9.99)
2. The Grey Gardens Coloring Books
If it’s important to you to introduce your child to the joys of parent/adult child cohabitation or the culty camp classic documentary, this 3-book set will prove instructive, with blank panels to color including “This little book is going to keep me straight” and “The Libra husband is not an easy man to please.” Below, Edie Bouvier Beale proclaims “I do terrific dances.” (Greygardenscoloringbooks, $30)
3. Unicorns are Jerks
If my fifth-grade T-shirts are to be believed, unicorns divide their time between flying under rainbows, dipping their horns into waterfalls to produce magical sprays, and chivalrously toting around fairies. But as author Theo Nicole Lorenz has it, unicorns are more given to singing break-up songs around you when you’ve just been dumped, monopolizing the ball pit, texting in the movie theater, and this:
Just as an aside, there are some priceless reviews of this book on Amazon, including the following instant klassic:
This coloring book saved my business. Our firm was on the verge of hiring a unicorn as our new public relations rep. At first, it seemed like a dream come true, what with his magical rainbow mane and shimmering eyes but then after reading this book, we decided to do a little more digging on our potential new hire. I’m so glad we did! This guy turned out to be a notorious ringleader in a human trafficking scandal! Bad news folks! He was using his irresistable horn to lure young children away into a life of depravity and abuse! We owe everything to this important publication. It’s really so much more than a coloring book, it’s a public service announcement. Don’t trust unicorns! Period!
4. Fat Ladies In Spaaaaace: a body-positive coloring book
From the same author as Unicorns are Jerks, this book is best described by the blurb on Lorenz’ site: “This body-positive coloring book features 18 pages of fat sci-fi heroines doing what they do best: trekking across the time and space, blasting off into adventure, and saving the day. Among our intrepid heroines are a rocketeer, a superhero, time travelers of both steampunk and madman-with-a-box varieties, the captain of a space pirate ship, members of spaceship crews tasked with exploring the unexplored, an RPG heroine with a badass bike, and many more.” Since this book makes reference to inter-species’ “seduction,” parents may wish to read online reviews before buying for young children. (Amazon, $7.99)
5. The Witches: A Coloring Book
Author Lisa Graves is also known as the blogger/artist behind History Witch, on which Graves produces magnificent hand-drawn illustrations of what she calls “royal weirdos” like Madame Pompadour, as well as interesting women in history. In this chilling, well-researched coloring book, she pictures notorious women like Isobel Gowdie, the witches of Salem, and Marie Laveau. Warning: Non-graphic references to execution and torture. (Amazon, $6.99)
6. Creative Haven Steampunk Designs Coloring Book
If wearing goggles and watch chains is your thing, this coloring book should be too. Thirty intricate drawings feature Victorian-y people with gewgaws, wheels, sputniks, whirligigs, and Spirographs. (Barnesandnoble, $5.99)
7. The Tattoo Coloring Book
Appreciation for the inked, with images of classic motifs like anchors, sailors, be-Mommed hearts, crosses, saints, snakes, and curvy girls (feminist warning, old tattoos were generally not too feminist). (Plasticland, $14.95)