View source for The Creative Therapy Colouring Book by Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt and Jo Taylor

{{infobox
|title=The Creative Therapy Colouring Book
|sort=Creative Therapy Colouring Book, The
|author=Hannah Davies, Richard Merrit and Jo Taylor
|reviewer=Louise Jones
|genre=Crafts
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=No
|isbn=9781782433002
|pages=128
|publisher=Michael O'Mara 
|date=August 2014
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782433007</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1782433007</amazonus>
|website=http://hannah-davies.com
|video=
|summary=Soothe and calm away the stresses of life with this beautiful colouring book for adults and older children.
}}
{{competition
|prize=a copy of ''|The Creative Therapy Colouring Book'' by Hannah Davies, Richard Merrit and Jo Taylor
|text=Three people will each win a copy of the book.  For your chance to win just answer the following question:

Which prominent search engine is famous for its doodles?

|date=1 October 2014
}}

Apparently, colouring books for adults have become ''de rigeur'' in France, with the book ''Art Therapie-100 Coloriages Anti-Stress'' flying off the shelves as increasing numbers of stressed-out individuals discover the therapeutic value of 'colouring in'. 

The complex and beautiful images in ''Creative Therapy Colouring Book'' are incredibly detailed and quite hypnotic to look at. Swirling mandalas, repetitive patterns and images from nature are filled with tiny lines, dots, spirals and shapes that can take hours to fill in. Concentration sharpens and the 'artist' becomes deeply absorbed in the task at hand, creating a deep sense of satisfaction upon completion of each unique image.

The beauty of this book is that you don't have to be a competent artist to use it. You can be as precise or as slapdash as you wish. Sections filled with tiny squares can be coloured in 'en masse' or individually as the mood takes you. There is even a section for 'doodling', which encourages users to let their creativity run wild. I consider myself a creative person, but I am not particularly talented, so crafts like knitting, sewing and painting cause me more frustration than calm. I think I may have found my niche with colouring though. It doesn't require any great skill, but is rewarding in its own right.

The book itself is of high quality. The cover is made from thick card, which gives it a weighty feel. The pages are thick and therefore able to cope with the demands of a variety of media, including felt tips and some paints, without the worry that they may seep through the pages, ruining previous or subsequent masterpieces.

I did an experiment with the book and left it open on the kitchen table, with a box of pencils next to it. Every time I returned, a little more of the picture had been mysteriously completed by someone in the family. I also found that the book was fun for sharing and I spent a whole evening helping my daughter to colour in an intricately-patterned lion. We both remarked that even if we completed a little bit of the book every day, it would probably take us years to complete and I suggested she may want to pass it on to her children and grandchildren!

I love this book as it is based on a really simple concept, but is genuinely fun and makes art accessible to all. The pictures in the book are absolutely gorgeous and it is hard to decide which one to complete next. I am very grateful to the publishers for my review copy, which I will cherish.

For something a little less demanding, but equally absorbing, Bookbag recommends [[Explore and Draw Patterns: An Art Activity Book by Owen Davey and Georgia Amson-Bradshaw]], which is perfect for rainy days.

{{amazontext|amazon=1782433007}}
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[[Category:Hannah Davies]]
[[Category:Richard Merrit]]
[[Category:Jo Taylor]]